New Brunswick’s energy regulator has approved a Crown corporation’s application for a 500-Megawatt natural gas plant.

NB Power says it needs the project to meet a sharp increase in power demand by 2028.

The corporation has a 25-year contract with Missouri-based ProEnergy to set up 10 natural gas turbines in a rural area in the province’s southeast.

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NB Power says the proposed plant will help serve as a backstop when weather-dependent renewable power sources are not available.

It says the combustion turbines — which can switch to diesel when required — will be mixed in with batteries, wind and solar to create an overall cleaner grid.

Nova Scotia’s energy operator has signed a 10-year agreement to purchase 100 Megawatts of power from the future plant.

The project still requires approval following an ongoing provincial environmental impact assessment.