The northern Quebec village of Inukjuak, which has relied on diesel fuel for electricity for decades, will finally be connected to the Hydro-Quebec grid as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydro-Quebec officials said the move will reduce hydrocarbon consumption by over 80 per cent and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tonnes over 40 years.
The village, which is located on Hudson Bay in the Nunavik region of Quebec, is home to around 1,800 people. Like Inukjuak, hundreds of other remote communities in the region rely on diesel for power and heat.
The project is part of a 7.5 megawatt hydroelectric plant development valued at $125 million. Renewable energy company Innergex will oversee the plant’s construction and operation while Inuit corporation Pituvik will be a 50 per cent partner. Both have signed a 40-year power purchase agreement with Hydro-Quebec.
Pituvik president Eric Atagotaaluk said the project will also generate revenue for Inukjuak and create new jobs.
“During construction, we’re going to want to maximize local hiring from the contractor and post-construction, in the operating stage and management stage, that’s where we’ll be working very closely with Innergex to maximize local employment,” he said.
