Shand power station

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Shand power station is an operating power station of at least 300-megawatts (MW) in Estevan, Estevan No. 5, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Shand power station	Estevan, Estevan No. 5, Saskatchewan, Canada	49.088234, -102.863043 (exact)

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• Unit 1: 49.088234, -102.863043

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year	Retired year	Emergency/Backup
Unit 1	Operating	coal: lignite	300	subcritical	1992	2050 (planned)	False

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	Saskatchewan Power Corp [100%]	Saskatchewan Power Corp [100.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s): domestic

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Background

The plant is owned and operated by SaskPower.

Proposed CCS conversion

In November 2018 SaskPower released a feasibility study for the possible retrofitting of the plant with carbon capture storage (CCS) technology. If completed, the CSS upgrade would allow the plant to continue operating beyond the December 31, 2029, the deadline set by the Canadian government for all non-CCS coal-fired plants in Canada to cease operations. The study found that outfitting the Shand power station with CSS technology would cost around $1 billion. The company stated at the time that it would not be making a decision about whether to proceed until "the middle of the next decade", i.e., until the mid-2020s.

According to reporting from February 2023, a CCS test facility at Shand power station had been open since 2015. Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Shell CanSolv had each used the site to test out their CCS technologies, but the test facility had remained vacant since 2021. SaskPower was reportedly keeping the facility open despite lacking a tenant.

Retirement plans

Provincial plans at odds with federal goals for coal phaseout

In May 2023, the Premier of Saskatchewan said that he expected the province would continue operating some of its coal-fired power plants until the end of their lifespans, beyond the 2030 federal target for phasing out unabated coal power. His reasoning was that the province couldn't "meet the federal rules and keep the lights on at an affordable price." The federal Environment Minister responded saying non-compliance with the regulations, once they are finalized, would be a violation of Canada’s Criminal Code. The Shand power station reportedly has an end-of-life date of 2042.

In January 2025, the minister responsible for SaskPower reiterated that the provincial government planned to operate Shand until 2042.

In June 2025, the provincial government sent a letter to SaskPower employees stating that they planned to extend the lives of all coal-fired power stations in the province. Shand power station, Boundary Dam power station, and Poplar River power station would reportedly “receive the work necessary” for the extensions in the “years to come.” The letter noted that Saskatchewan did not “recognize the legitimacy of the federal Clean Electricity Regulations,” referring to the Canadian government’s 2030 target for phasing out unabated coal-fired power. The province had yet to publish cost estimates for the refurbishment work.

In July 2025, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ), the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES), and three individuals from Saskatchewan and Manitoba filed an application seeking judicial review of the Saskatchewan government’s decision to extend the lives of the province’s coal plants beyond 2030. One of the individuals was a 12-year-old from Saskatchewan. The applicants stated that the government’s decision was made without sufficient public consultation, was inconsistent with federal clean energy regulations, and breaches the rights of future children under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. An initial hearing at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon was scheduled for August 12, 2025.

According to reporting from August 2025, the Saskatchewan government had allocated CAD$900 million (US$650 million) over four years to refurbish coal units at Boundary Dam power station, Shand power station, and Poplar River power station and keep the plants running beyond the 2030 federal coal phaseout target.

In October 2025, the Saskatchewan government reiterated plans to continue operating coal units at Boundary Dam power station, Shand power station, and Poplar River power station, saying that provincial utility SaskPower “will extend the life of up to 1530 MW of existing coal-fired power assets beyond 2030 and out as far as 2050.” The government’s Saskatchewan First Energy Security and Supply Plan backed the construction of two 300 MW small modular reactors near Estevan, and envisaged the potential development of large-scale nuclear plants in the province. According to the plan, coal would serve as a “bridge” to nuclear power.

In November 2025, a hearing was held for the court case involving CPJ, SES, and three individuals from Saskatchewan and Manitoba who had requested a judicial review of the Saskatchewan government’s June 2025 decision to continue operating coal plants beyond 2030. The provincial government had filed a motion requesting that the court reject the application. The groups asked the Court to allow the judicial review to proceed and to grant an interim stay of the province’s plan to extend the life of its coal fleet. Justice R.S. Smith reportedly adjourned the hearing and would decide on whether the court can hear the case and the government’s motion to strike the proceedings.

In January 2026, the Court of King’s Bench dismissed the request for a judicial review sought by SES, CPJ, and the citizens group. The court reportedly ruled that the legality of the coal plants’ continued operation was not for the court to determine. Following the ruling, SES said it was “disappointed” by the decision. In February 2026, SES and its co-applicants filed a request for appeal with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

According to reporting from March 2026, SaskPower had submitted a rate case to the province’s Rate Review Panel saying that the utility was extending the lives of its coal power plants for another 25 years. Refurbishment of Shand was slated to start in 2032. The rate case also reportedly indicated that refurbishing the province’s coal plants would cost CAD$2.6 billion (US$1.87 billion), nearly three times the CAD$900 million estimate previously given by the provincial government.

In July 2026, an analysis by a University of Regina economics professor estimated that SaskPower’s plan to keep its three coal plants operating past 2029 would cost CAD$30.2 billion (US$21.5 billion) over the next 20 years. If carbon pricing were to be applied at the same level referred to in a recent agreement between the federal government and the province, the cost would rise to CAD$46.4 billion (US$33 billion).

Energy transition

In September 2024, Saskatchewan’s provincial government announced that the communities of Estevan and Coronach would each receive CAD$5 million to assist with the upcoming coal power phaseout and energy transition. Estevan hosts Boundary Dam power station and Shand power station.

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Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.