St. Catharines - Main Office   20 Corporate Park Drive Suite 100-101 St. Catharines, ON L2S 3W2 905.684.1111
Hamilton   605 James St. North Hamilton, ON L8L 1K1 905.525.5153
Kincardine   3245 Bruce Rd 20 Tiverton, ON N0G 2T0 519.368.5610
Thorold Asphalt   3299 Thorold Townline Rd. Thorold, ON L2E 6S4 905.680.4466

Welland Canal Weir 1, 2 & 3 Generating Stations

Renewable Energy

In 2005 the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation requested that private industry develop generation facilities at the Lock 1, 2 & 3 control weirs to take advantage of the continuous flow of water that was available. Rankin Renewable Power Inc. submitted a proposal and has now financed and constructed these stations in return for 25 years of ownership and operation to recoup the investment.

Power purchase agreements for each of the stations were obtained through the Ontario Standard Offer Program for renewable energy. These contracts provide a long term premium price for renewable energy and enabled rapid connection to the grid.

At each of the three weirs the stations are built into the downstream side of the structure using the existing underflow gates. This both simplifies construction and significantly reduced the ecological impact of the stations.

In November of 2008 Rankin Construction completed the first two stations and in September of 2009 the third station was complete they are all now connected to the grid and providing clean, reliable power to the people of the Niagara Region.

 

St. Lawrence Seaway
Hatch (awards)