Ontario Construction News staff writer
Hydro One broke ground on the Chatham to Lakeshore transmission line last week, a project that will provide clean electricity to the agri-food and manufacturing industries.
Construction is now underway on the $268 million project.
“The Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line is paving the way for Ontario’s clean energy future and will support economic growth and local food suppliers in southwest Ontario,” Hydro One president and CEO David Lebeter said in a statement.
“With our strong history in building new transmission lines, we’re focused on creating a new electricity network in the southwest that will bring a cascade of benefits including more jobs and economic growth, as well as equity investment opportunities for local First Nations that will generate revenues for generations to come.”
Construction of the Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line will be completed by contractor, Voltage Power Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aecon Group Inc. Aligned with Hydro One’s commitment to source five per cent of all purchases of materials and services from Indigenous businesses by 2026, a significant portion of the 49 km line will include the purchases from qualified Indigenous businesses as subcontractors to Voltage. The line will add about 400 megawatts of clean electricity to the region – enough to supply a city the size of Windsor. The line is expected to be in service by the end of 2025.
“At Black & McDonald, we’re proud to be a part of the construction of this critical project that will provide this growing region with the electricity it needs to continue to thrive,” Chuck Mossman, the company’s vice-president, Southern Ontario Utility Region. “Our skilled team is committed to enhancing the Chatham Switching Station in a safe and sustainable way, with the station improvements providing benefits for everyone in the region.”
The Chatham to Lakeshore transmission line is part of a network of infrastructure projects across southwest Ontario that will unlock the electrification potential of Ontario’s economy to mitigate climate change and help address this forecasted demand. As part of the company’s pathway towards Reconciliation, Hydro One has offered five First Nations in the region a 50 per cent equity stake in the transmission line component of the project and is committed to working to advance the project in partnership.