An update to the Ontario Pumped Storage project has been received by Meaford Council.
The presentation was brought to council during their meeting on Jan. 31.
The project seeks to allow the for the development of a pumped storage facility at the Canadian Armed Forces 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford.
The facility would involve pumping water from Georgian Bay to a higher elevation reservoir during periods of low demand for electricity, and then releasing the water back through turbines to generate electricity when power demand is higher.
Project Director John Mikkelsen says despite the Covid restrictions, they have made steady progress with the project over the past year.
“Subject to receiving all permits and approvals, and demonstrating no impact to the Department of National Defence’s (DND) activities at the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre, we are able to proceed with the development and construction of the project,” says Mikkelsen.
Mikkelsen adds in the near term, it would permit them to proceed with the environmental impact assessment.
Mikkelsen says over the past year, they have seen changes to the external environment which have impacted the proposed project.
“The impacts of climate change are more obvious. The demand for action on climate change is intensifying and the pathway to net zero will mean increased use of electricity, driving higher demand. There is an increased need for large scale, long-duration electricity storage to balance electricity demand with available supply. This project if developed, would be an important contributor to achieving a zero emission electricity system,” says Mikkelsen.
Based on responses they have received from residents, Mikkelsen says except for the reservoir, switch yard and office, all of the major facilities would now be placed underground or under water.
In regards to the concerns they received about local fish, Mikkelsen adds they have relocated the inlets and outlets from the shoreline to deep water where they expect there to be less sensitive fish habitats.
“To get to the deep water we are tunnelling. We plan to tunnel from the reservoir, out under Georgian Bay, in particular under the sensitive shoreline environment, leaving it intact,” says Mikkelsen.
Mikkelsen says the major components including the pump turbines, generators, transformers will be located underground in a cavern. This will minimize surface disruption, terrestrial impacts, environmental, archaeological, historical, cultural, and visual. With placing the major equipment underground, Mikkelsen adds they have essentially mitigated any audible noise.
“When we want to store electricity, we would use that electricity to pump our water from Georgian Bay to the new reservoir we are constructing on top of the escarpment. Water will be pumped at low velocity through a series of multiple inlet outlet ports under the surface of Georgian Bay to the storage reservoir, and stored there until needed,” says Mikkelsen.
Mikkelsen says there will be about 20 of these inlet outlet ports located in deep water and connected to the tunnel under the lake bed through a vertical pipe established in the lake bed.
The ports themselves are described as tall vertical cylinders with screens surrounding it and a cap on top and bottom, which will restrict the outflow and inflow to the horizontal directions.
The screens provide a protective barrier against fish from entering the system.
Mikkelsen says they will continue to listen to the community and incorporate changes as needed.
