Some news on Hydro Quebec's dams for Magpie and Kipawa
Hydro Quebec released its 2009-2013 strategic plan today. It will invest $25 Billion in Quebec over the next five years. A large part of that will be on major hydro projects:
"Hydro-Québec will continue to develop major hydroelectric projects such
as Romaine and Petit-Mécatina, in addition to bringing 4,000 MW of wind power
onto the grid," said
Thierry Vandal, Hydro-Québec's President and Chief
Executive Officer....
Hydro-Québec Production plans to develop a portfolio of 3,500 MW as
part of the Québec government's Northern Plan, including 3,000 MW in major
hydropower projects; these projects will be presented in a future Strategic
Plan.
from - http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2009/30/c9809.html
According to a story in Le Soleil, the other projects that are on the drawing board are dams for the Magpie (850 MW), a third dam on the Sainte-Marguerite (440 MW), and more dams on the Manicouagan (330 MW) all in the Cote-Nord region of Quebec (the North Shore of the Saint-Lawrence).
The only project mentioned outside of that region is the Tabaret project on the Kipawa (132 MW).The link for that article is:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/actualite-economique/200907/29/01-888356-projets-hydroelectriques-hydro-quebec-donne-un-coup-daccelerateur.php
I'm not sure what his sources are but the Hydro Quebec plans for the other Cote-Nord projects including the Magpie were first leaked/mentioned in June:
http://www.lesaffaires.com/article/0/energie/2009-06-11/494652/hydroqueteacutebec-lorgne-la-rivietegravere-magpie.fr.html
The is the first we've heard about the Kipawa project in the media in a while.
