Canada Invests in Wind Energy to Reduce Diesel in Northern Quebec

March 10, 2021                                                          Ottawa, Ontario                                        Natural Resources Canada

Reducing reliance on diesel in rural and remote communities is essential to reaching net-zero emissions. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, the Government of Canada remains committed to building a clean energy future that strengthens the economy, creates good, middle-class jobs and supports the natural resource sectors.

Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a $7.1-million investment for TUGLIQ Energy Co. to help fund the third phase of its wind energy project that will displace diesel generation in northern Quebec while creating local job opportunities.

This new funding builds on the success of earlier phases of the wind farm and will enable Raglan Mine to explore adding two additional three-megawatt (MW) wind turbines and four MW of energy storage at its facility, located in the Nunavik region of Quebec. These additions could bring the mine’s renewable energy capacity up to 12 MW and its energy storage up to 6 MW, totaling 6.6-million litres per year of reduced diesel.

Construction of the project will create about 65 jobs, with another six jobs needed for the operation and maintenance of the wind farm over its lifetime. Renewable energy training and information sessions will also be provided to Indigenous youth in the area to share lessons learned and build local capacity.

Federal funding for the project comes from the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program. The eight-year, $220-million program, aims to reduce reliance on diesel in rural and remote communities by deploying and demonstrating renewable energy projects, encouraging energy efficiency and building local skills and capacity. It is part of government’s Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, a more than $180-billion investment over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

TUGLIQ and the Government of Quebec also contributed to the project for a total investment of $21.9 million.