Renfrew, Ontario: Ontario Power Generation reported June 22 that work is underway on its rebuilt Calabogie Generating Station in eastern Ontario. The new facility, located along the Madawaska River, is expected to be completed by 2022 and will power about 10,000 homes with clean, low-cost renewable electricity.
"We're excited to rebuild one of our oldest generating stations, especially during these unprecedented times," said Mike Martelli, OPG's President of Renewable Generation. "Many options were considered over the years, including retrofitting the existing century-old powerhouse, but a complete redevelopment was determined to be the best option and we're proud to bring more clean energy to Ontario's grid."
The five-megawatt Calabogie station, originally built in 1917
Constructed in 1917, the 5 MW Calabogie station was extensively damaged by a tornado in 2018. The new facility will replace the original, century-old powerhouse with a new, higher capacity powerhouse that will double its capacity, from five to approximately 10 MW. OPG is investing over $100 million to redevelop the site.
Throughout the planning and execution phases, OPG has consulted with Indigenous communities, including the Algonquins of Ontario, Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, and four Williams Treaties First Nations – Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation and Scugog Island First Nation.
SNC-Lavalin and local partner M. Sullivan & Son Ltd. were awarded the design-build contract.
The joint venture scope will be to decommission the existing 5 MW powerhouse, excavate the forebay and tailrace in line with the hydraulic model, and construct a new two-unit powerhouse with a capacity of 10.7 MW, enough to power about 10,000 homes. The award follows the completion of the front end engineering and design (FEED) phase wherein the JV developed the target cost for the execution phase through a detailed options assessment and finalization of critical designs.