Montréal: Boralex Inc. announced the commercial commissioning November 14 of its 16 MW Yellow Falls hydroelectric station, under the terms of a price-indexed power purchase agreement with the Independent Electricity System Operator for a period of 40 years. The station is located on the Mattagami River about 20 kilometres south of the town of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario.
“It’s with great pride that we are officially commissioning our very first hydroelectric station in Ontario,” said Patrick Decostre, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Boralex. “I would like to congratulate all the teams who worked on this project, which diversifies our assets in this province and strengthens our position as a leader in the renewable energy field in Canada.”
For several years, Boralex has worked closely with the local communities, represented by the Mattagami First Nation and Taykwa Tagamou Nation, as well as with the town of Smooth Rock Falls, in order to develop a project that respects their concerns and the surrounding environment, and also provides local economic spinoffs.
The power station has one permanent employee, who ensures continuous operations and maintenance; it also calls on a number of local contractors as needed.
The station comprises two 8-MW turbines closely connected to a water intake, a concrete dam and water discharge facilities, including two inflatable weirs, along with related infrastructure on the Mattagami River.