Canada’s largest electricity battery storage project coming to Ontario

(Photo courtesy of the Province of Ontario)

The governments of Canada and Ontario are working together to build the largest battery storage project in in the country. The 250-megawatt (MW) Oneida Energy storage project is being developed in partnership with the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, Northland Power, NRStor and Aecon Group.

Supported by the federal government and the Ontario government, the Canada Infrastructure Bank is playing a key role supporting project development and is collaborating with the Oneida Energy storage project on an investment agreement.

The provincial government says the project is a milestone in Canada and Ontario’s plans to build a reliable and affordable clean electricity grid that will help to power the future of Ontario’s economy.

“When our two governments work together, in partnership with Indigenous communities, we can help to build a stronger economy and a more sustainable province,” said the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, deputy prime minister and minister of finance. “With this new federal investment — and significant support from the Canada Infrastructure Bank — this project will help make electricity more affordable for Ontario families, and play an important role in building the clean electrical grid that Ontario will count on for generations to come.”

Ontario has directed the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to enter into a 20-year contract for the Oneida Energy storage project to support the growth of the province’s clean energy supply.

“I’m thrilled to see so many great partners come together to build this world-class project that will provide affordable, clean energy for generations to come,” said Premier Doug Ford. “With a growing population and as we secure game-changing investments in our economy, our government is supporting innovative and bold energy solutions to meet the increasing demand for power, including battery storage and small modular reactors.”

The Oneida Energy storage project will draw and store electricity off-peak, when power demand is low, and return the power to the system at times of higher electricity demand. The project is set to begin operations in 2025 and provide enough power to meet the peak demand of a city the size of Oshawa. It will more than double the amount of energy storage resources on Ontario’s clean electricity grid from its current 225 MW to approximately 475 MW upon its completion.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to collaborate with partners to unlock the energy storage solutions needed to store clean energy while meeting increasing electricity demands,” said Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson. “The Oneida Energy storage project represents a significant Indigenous-led development that will create good jobs for Canadians while reducing emissions.”

The Oneida Energy storage project is expected to reduce emissions by between 2.2 to 4.1 million tonnes, the equivalent to taking up to 40,000 cars off the road.

www.ontario.ca