- Cap-Chat, with 76 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 57 megawatts;
- the municipalities of Saint-Ulric, Saint-Léandre and Matane in the Matane regional county municipality, with 57 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 43 megawatts.
The wind energy development began with the granting of contracts to private developers. These contracts consisted of private agreements with Hydro-Québec Production. However, to continue the wind energy development, the government and Hydro-Québec opted for a calls for tender process which has to be approved by Régie de l’énergie.
The wind energy generated is supplied to the Hydro-Québec grid.
Project selection process
To develop Québec’s wind energy potential and promote a new supply of clean, renewable energy, Hydro-Québec issued the first tender solicitation (call for bids) to supply wind-generated electricity in 2003. It targeted the supply of a block of 1,000 MW, generated within the Gaspésie region and the Matane regional county municipality. Following the bidding process, eight wind farm projects were selected. Hydro-Québec estimates that a 1,000-megawatt wind farm produces enough power to supply around 160,000 homes.
On November 29 , 2011, seven wind farms built as a result of the 1,000 MW tender call began production:
- the Baie-des-Sables wind farm (109.5 MW) in the Matane regional county municipality;
- the Anse-à-Valleau wind farm (100.5 MW) in the La Côte-de-Gaspé regional county municipality;
- the Carleton wind farm (109.5 MW), in the Avignon regional county municipality;
- the Saint-Ulric wind farm (127.5 MW) in the Matane regional county municipatily;
- the Mont-Saint-Louis wind farm (100.5 MW) in the La Haute-Mauricie regional county municipality;
- the Montagne-Sèche wind farm (58.5 MW), in the La Côte-de-Gaspé regional county municipality;
- the Gros-Morne wind farm (step 1) 100.5 MW in the La Haute-Gaspésie regional county municipality.
All wind farms should be in operation by the end of 2012.
In October 2005, Hydro-Québec announced a second tender call for 2,000 MW of wind energy. The second tender call covering all regions of Québec ended on September 18, 2007. After examining the bids, Hydro Québec announced that it had received 66 projects for a total of 7,722.2 MW of installed capacity. (Hydro-Québec press release – List of projects). The second tender call helped to consolidate the industrial structure for wind energy development in the Gaspésie region and Matane regional county municipality.
On May 5, 2008, Hydro-Québec announced that it had selected 15 bids for the production of a total of 2,004.5 MW under the tender call launched on October 31, 2005 for the purchase of wind energy produced in Québec. Electricity production will begin at various dates between 2011 and 2015. (Hydro-Québec press release – press room)
On March 29, 2012, a first wind farm as a result of the 2,000 MW tender call began production:
- Le Plateau wind farm (138.6 MW) in the Avignon regional county municipality
To continue developing wind energy beyond the initial two calls for tenders, on April 30, 2009, Hydro-Québec launched another invitation to tender for an additional 500 MW to be split equally by local communities and aboriginal nations.
On December 20, 2010, Hydro-Québec announced the bids it had selected in this call for tenders for the production of 500 MW of wind power. In all, 12 bids were selected for a total of 291.4 MW.
- For the 250 MW block set aside for community wind farms, 11 projects will generate a total of 267.4 MW.
- For the 250 MW block reserved for aboriginal wind farms, 1 project will produce 24 MW.
On March 29, 2012, Québec had installed capacity of 1057.2 MW, all located on its territory. The electricity generated is supplied to the Hydro-Québec grid.
Wind farm project location map (in French)
Projects completed or under construction
Location, region |
Installed capacity
(MW) |
Number of wind turbines |
Promoter |
Type of contract |
Statut/on-line date |
Le Nordais
Cap-Chat et
MRC de Matane,
Bas-Saint-Laurent
|
100 |
133 |
Trans Alta |
Private agreement (HQP) |
Operating 1999 |
Site nordique
expérimental
en éolien CORUS
Rivière-au-Renard,
Gaspésie |
4.10 |
2 |
Test site Corus |
Private agreement (HQP) |
Operating 2010 |
Mont Miller
Murdochville,
Gaspésie |
54 |
30 |
FLP Energy and 3Ci Énergie Éolienne |
Private agreement (HQP) |
Operating 2005 |
Mont Copper
Murdochville,
Gaspésie |
54 |
30 |
FPL Energy |
Private agreement (HQP) |
Operating 2004 |
Baie-des-Sables
Baie-des-Sables,
Bas-Saint-Laurent |
109.5 |
73 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating 2006 |
Anse-à-Valleau
Anse-à-Valleau,
Gaspésie |
100.5 |
67 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating 2007 |
Carleton
Carleton,
Gaspésie |
109.5 |
73 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating 2008 |
Saint-Ulric,
Saint-Léandre
Saint-Ulric,
Saint-Léandre,
Bas-Saint-Laurent |
127.5 |
85 |
Northland Power |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating 2009 |
Murdochville
Murdochville,
Gaspésie |
54 |
36 |
3CI Énergie éolienne |
Private agreement (HQP) |
In revaluation |
Les Méchins
Les Méchins,
Gaspésie |
150 |
100 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Cancelled |
Mont-Louis
Mont-Louis,
Gaspésie |
100.5 |
67 |
Northland Power |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating since 2011 |
Montagne-Sèche
Montagne-Sèche,
Gaspésie |
58.5 |
39 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating since November 2011 |
Gros Morne
(phase 1)
Gros Morne,
Gaspésie |
100.5 |
67 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Operating since November 2011 |
Saint-Robert- Bellarmin
Saint-Robert-Bellarmin,
Estrie
(Ancien projet d'Aguanish
sur la Côte-Nord) |
80 |
40 |
EDF EN Canada Inc |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012
|
Des Moulins
Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf,
Kinnear's Mills,
Thetford Mines,
Chaudières-Appalaches |
156 |
78 |
Invenergy Wind Canada ULC |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2013 |
De l’Érable
Sainte-Sophie-d'Halifax,
Centre-du-Québec |
100 |
50 |
Enerfin Sociedad de Energia S.A. |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012
|
Le Plateau
Matapédia,
L'Ascension-de-Patapédia,
Gaspésie |
138.6 |
60 |
Invenergy Wind Canada ULC |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government Futur project 2011 |
New Richmond
New Richmond,
Saint-Alphonse,
Caplan,
Gaspésie |
66 |
33 |
Venterre (Trans Alta) |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012
|
Gros Morne (phase 2)
Gros Morne,
Gaspésie |
111 |
74 |
Cartier Énergie Éolienne |
1st tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012 |
Seigneurie de Beaupré #4
Territoire non organisé
(TNO) du Lac Jacques-Cartier,
Capitale-Nationale
(ancien projet de Sainte-Luce) |
69 |
30 |
Boralex inc. et Gaz Métro Eole inc. |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
In approbation
Futur project 2014 |
Montérégie
Saint-Mathieu,
Saint-Isidore,
Saint-Rémi,
Saint-Michel,
Saint-Constant,
Mercier,
Montérégie |
100 |
50 |
Kruger Énergie inc. |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012 |
Massif du Sud
Saint-Luc-de-Bellechasse,
Saint-Philémon,
Notre-Dame-Auxiliatrice
-de-Buckland,
Saint-Magloire,
Chaudière- Appalaches |
150 |
75 |
EDF EN Canada Inc |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Futur project 2012
In approbation |
Saint-Valentin
Saint-Valentin,
Montérégie |
50 |
25 |
Venterre (Trans Alta) |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
In revaluation |
Lac Alfred
Sainte-Irène,
La Rédemption,
Saint-Zénon-Lac-Humqui,
Saint-Célophas,
TNO du lac Alfred,
TNO du Lac-à-la-Croix,
Bas-Saint-Laurent |
300 |
150 |
EDF EN Canada Inc |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2012/2013 |
Seigneurie de Beaupré #3
TNO du Lac Jacques-Cartier,
Capitale-Nationale |
139.3 |
68 |
Boralex inc. and Gaz Métro Eole Inc. |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2013 |
Seigneurie de Beaupré #2
TNO du Lac Jacques-Cartier,
Capitale-Nationale |
132.6 |
63 |
Boralex inc. and Gaz Métro Eole Inc. |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Approved by the government
Futur project 2013 |
Vents du Kempt
Causapscal,
Sainte-Marguerite-Marie,
Sainte-Florence,
Bas-Saint-Laurent |
100 |
50 |
Eolectric |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Futur project 2014 |
Rivière du Moulin
TNO Lac Pikauba,
TNO Lac MinuSaintuk,
Capitale-Nationale,
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean |
350 |
175 |
EDF EN Canada Inc |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Futur project 2014/2015
In approbation |
Clermont
TNO de Mont Élie,
Capitale-Nationale |
74 |
37 |
EDF EN Canada Inc |
2nd tender sollicitation (HQD) |
Futur project 2015 |
Source: Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, April 5, 2012. |
