New Projects
- Wuskwatim Project: Manitoba Hydro, in partnership with Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), has commenced construction of the Wuskwatim generating station on the Burntwood River near Thompson. The 200 MW station will have three hydraulic turbine generator units and will have only a small reservoir, and the project has had the most extensive environmental review of any generating project in Manitoba. Participation of the NCN aboriginal community was agreed to in a June 2006 referendum of NCN members. This partnership between NCN and Manitoba Hydro will allow advancement of the in-service date to 2012 and opportunities for additional export revenue. Otherwise the load growth would not require this new capacity until several years later.
- New Hydraulic Generation (Keeyask, Conawapa, Notigi) and HVDC Transmission.: Studies are continuing to permit eventual construction of new generating projects along the Nelson River. The Keeyask (formerly Gull) station will have a capacity of approximately 630 megawatts. Planning studies are continuing, but no final design or construction decisions have been made and no environmental hearings have started. The 1380 megawatt Conawapa project was initiated but postponed indefinitely in 1992 when Ontario Hydro elected not to purchase firm energy from Manitoba. Planning activities are continuing, but no construction commitment has been made and no environmental hearings are currently scheduled. The in-service date would be after that for Wuskwatim and Gull, with current estimated load growth requiring first power in 2021. The station at Notigi would be rated approximately 100 megawatts, but no in-service date has been set for this project.
More than 5000 MW of hydroelectric potential could be developed in Manitoba, which includes 1380 MW at the Conawapa site, 630 MW at the Gull (Keeyask) site, and 1000 MW at the Gillam Island site, all on the lower Nelson river. Other sites have been assessed but are not currently under study for development. All of these developments would require a large increase in electric power exports, since Manitoba load growth will not require this capacity for a generation or more. All of these projects require additional HVDC transmission capacity from the North to the South. One such project, Bipole III, had been discussed with communities on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, but this area has been reserved by the provincial government, making transmission line construction infeasible. The government and Manitoba Hydro have currently rerouted Bipole III through the west side of Manitoba and construction is slated to begin in 2012. However the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has stated that they will build Bipole III through the east side and cancel the west route if elected in the 2011 general election.
Read more about this topic: Nelson River Hydroelectric Project
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—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
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