Quebec premier inaugurates massive hydro project; will generate enough power for 470,000 homes

HAVRE-SAINT-PIERRE, Qc. -

The newly inaugurated Romaine hydroelectric complex could serve as a model for future projects that are sorely needed in the province, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said Thursday.

"It brings me a lot of pride. It is truly the symbol of Quebec ingenuity," Legault said as he opened the vast power plant on the province's North Shore.

The premier told dignitaries that Quebec still doesn't have enough electricity to meet demand from industry, and Quebecers need to consider more ways to boost the province's ability to power future projects. The premier has said previously that demand is expected to surge by an additional 100 terawatt-hours by 2050 -- half the current annual output of the provincially owned utility.

Legault's environmental plan of reducing greenhouse gases and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 hinges on increased electrification, so the electricity needs for transport and industry will be massive. An updated strategic plan from Hydro-Quebec will be presented in November outlining those needs, president and CEO Michael Sabia told reporters on Thursday.

Legault said the report will trigger a broader debate on energy transition and how the province can be a leader in the green economy. He said he wasn't ruling any potential power sources, except for a return to nuclear power. "For the next months, the next years, we are going to have important questions to ask ourselves in Quebec," Legault said. "We will need to have a societal debate."

Legault said wind power alone is not ideal because it is intermittent, so hydroelectricity remains the province's main focus. He said the Romaine experience could serve as a blueprint for future projects.

Romaine is comprised of four power stations and is the largest hydro project built in the province since the Robert Bourassa generation facility in the James Bay area, which was commissioned in 1979.

The $7.4-billion Romaine complex can produce eight terawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power nearly 470,000 homes. It generates its power from the Romaine River, located north of Havre-St-Pierre, Que., near the Labrador border.

Four workers lost their lives during construction, which led the provincially run utility to review and strengthen its practices.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault greets workers at the inauguration of the La Romaine hydroelectric plant, Thursday, October 12, 2023, in Havre Saint-Pierre, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques BoissinotEkuanitshit Chief Jean-Charles Pietacho noted the construction also flooded a large part of his people's traditional territory. "The eldest of our village, she turned 92 on Oct. 5, it would have been awkward to invite her with me today because her birthplace was flooded," he said.

He invited the various stakeholders to "rethink" relations and agreements with First Nations and Inuit. He also called on officials to not build a dam on the Magpie River on the North Shore.

Legault said the Ekuanitshit chief "is worried for nothing" and said no project is planned on the Magpie. But the premier confirmed another on the Petit-Mecatina remains "under analysis."

Legault was accompanied at Thursday's event by Jean Charest, who was Quebec premier when construction began in 2009. Legault said the former premier made the right choices by launching the ambitious project. He also paid tribute to previous premiers who approved other hydroelectric projects.

"Today, thanks to these choices, we have the lowest electricity rates in North America," Legault said.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 12, 2023.