Construction is underway on the 117 km Pikangikum Power Line Project, which will connect Pikangikum First Nation to Ontario’s power grid in Red Lake. Completion is expected in late 2018.
Wataynikaneyap Power announced the selection November 30 of PowerTel Utilities Contractors Ltd. as the contractor for the line. AECOM has also announced that it, in association with PowerTel and Deutsche Bank, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Wataynikaneyap Power to help with construction.
The AECOM-led team will provide design, construction and financial services for the project. A qualified, licensed transmission partner also will be selected, which will partly own and operate the line.
The Pikangikum Power Line Project is the first stage of the larger 1800km Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project to connect 17 First Nations to the Ontario power grid, an unprecedented First Nations led project. The partnership of Wataynikaneyap Power is equally owned by 22 First Nation communities (51%), who partnered with experienced industry leader, Fortis (49%). These communities are currently living off the grid, relying on relatively expensive diesel to power their homes and businesses – a situation Wataynikaneyap Power says has become financially unsustainable, environmentally risky, and inadequate to meet community needs.
The second phase will consist of connecting remote First Nations communities to the provincial power grid.