When one thinks about mega energy projects in Canada, what immediately comes to mind is Alberta’s Tar Sands. The total dollar volume of Tar Sands projects has been estimated at $100 billion, including contemplated work as well as development sites already underway.

What are easy to overlook, however, are the very large energy projects that are underway or being talked about in other regions of the country as well. Some of these are oil and gas related, but quite a number of them have to do with electric power generation. A new era of mega electric power construction projects is nearly upon us.

Furthermore, much of this work is located in regions that are not in the national spotlight to the same degree as Canada’ “Big Four” provinces − Alberta, British Columbia and central Canada, comprised of Ontario and Québec. Specifically, where some of the largest of these new energy projects will be located is in the Atlantic Region and in the Prairies other than Alberta. These provinces form the COPs geographic region in the headline to this story, Canada’s Other Provinces.

COPs still have underutilized hydroelectric generating capacity. If you are a public utility and you have the capacity potential to do it, hydroelectric is the way to go. Hydro-electricity has an advantage over other means of power generation on several counts. First, it is renewable and sustainable. Second, its major environmental problems are all up front, through altering the land during the construction phase.

Actual power generated from the flow of water through turbines is about as clean as power generation can get. There are no emission problems like what can be encountered from burning oil, natural gas or coal. And there is no issue about what to do with spent fuel, as is the case with nuclear power. Wind power is equally clean, but it is still only filling in with comparatively small additions to generating capacity.

Furthermore, a cap and trade system with respect to carbon emissions seems to be on the horizon and regions that can proceed with hydroelectric expansions will have an advantage from an economic standpoint as well as an environmental one, going forward.

Today, let’s look at proposed hydroelectric projects in the Atlantic and in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Tomorrow, we’ll look at other energy projects in COPs. The following are all projects in Reed Construction Data’s inventory of upcoming work.

(1) Gull Island and Muskrat Falls, Labrador: The capacity of the Gull Island power station on the lower Churchill River in Labrador will be 2,000 megawatts (MWs). Muskrat Falls, also on the lower Churchill, will have a capacity of 800 MWs. Both stations will require dams and vast man-made reservoirs. There will also be transmission lines between these two stations and the existing Churchill Falls station. The total estimated cost of construction is $6 billion. Work may begin as early as this year.

(2) Conawapa, Manitoba: This project has been in the contemplated stage for decades, but the probability that it will proceed has been given a boost by the coming capacity shortfall in next-door Ontario. Manitoba Hydro plans to build transmission lines to connect Conawapa with Ontario Hydro’s power grid. This station will have a generating capacity of 1,380 MWs. It will be located on the lower Nelson River, downstream from two other stations, Gillam and Limestone, by 90 and 28 kilometres respectively. The estimated construction cost is $3.4 billion.

(3) Gull Rapids, Manitoba: Gull Rapids (not to be confused with a similarly named project in Labrador) is being designed to generate 620 MWs of power. It will be located about 30 kilometres west of the Gillam station on the Nelson River. This will also place it about 180 kilometres northeast of Thompson, Manitoba. The projected cost is $2.5 billion and it is in the very preliminary planning stage.

(4) Notigi, Manitoba: The 200 megawatt Notigi station is planned for the Burntwood River in Manitoba. Again, this project is strictly contemplated at this time. Design, tender and construction schedules have not yet been set.

Alex Carrick

Find Canadian construction-related economic articles in Canadian Construction Market News and in the Economic Outlook section of Daily Commercial News.

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