Improving the reliability of Obedjiwan's stand-alone power grid by adding the equipment and infrastructure needed to integrate renewable energy from the future forest biomass power plant.
Document reference number: 2
The project involves integrating a new renewable energy source from the 4.8 MW forest biomass power plant owned by a third party. In Order to do so, Hydro-Québec must build a new sectioning post and a control building, as well as a new access road, in addition to extending the distribution lines to the new facilities and converting the network voltage from 4.8 MW to 25 kV. The project includes:
- Construction of the access road and new site, the sectioning post, the control building which includes a garage, and conversion of the network to 25 kV.
- The access road and new site were selected strategically and in consultation with the community. Hydro-Québec must carry out earthworks (filling in the road and site) to make it suitable for receiving the installations required for the integration of the new biomass power plant.
- The access road crosses a permanent watercourse and will therefore require the installation of a culvert. During the installation of the culvert, a small area of the permanent watercourse will be temporarily affected.
- The 25 kV five-output sectioning post will connect the three energy sources (current thermal power plant, new forest biomass power plant, and battery energy storage system) and the two outputs to supply the community's electrical distribution network.
- Converting the network to 25 kV requires the addition of two power transformers at the site of the current thermal power plant.
- The control building will have a total surface area of 450 m². The building will include office and control space, necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the network in conjunction with the forest biomass power plant (225 m² of the total surface area). It will also include a garage and additional storage space (the remaining 225 m²).
Determination:
Natural Resources Canada has determined that the project for Improving the reliability of Obedjiwan's stand-alone power grid by adding the equipment and infrastructure needed to integrate renewable energy from the future forest biomass power plant, is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects with the implementation of mitigation and monitoring measures.
The mitigations measures in the following documents were also assessed:
- Hydro-Québec's Standard Environmental Clauses dated July 19, 2024, 31 pages;
- The measures identified in the application for project review submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for culvert installation work, dated April 23, 2025, 12 pages;
- The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (including Annex 2), dated June 27, 2025, 43 pages
- ECCC's Opinion on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report – Construction of a New Sectioning Station (Obedjiwan), dated April 9, 2026, 7 pages
Mitigation measures are available to download at the top of this page.