The New Brunswick government has granted conditional approval for a 500-megawatt natural gas plant.

The green light comes after an environmental impact assessment and is based on a series of 45 conditions that must be met by the company building the station.

The province’s public utility NB Power says it needs the project to meet a sharp increase in power demand by 2028.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won’t miss a trending story.

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.

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

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

The plant has previously been criticized by opposition politicians and environmental groups.

It’s scheduled to be in operation by 2028.