Amqui, (Quebec) Sept 18, 2013: EDF Renewables Inc., a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, and Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB), along with over 100 attendees, dedicated the 300 megawatt (MW) Lac-Alfred Wind Project today. The project is the third to be placed into service for the EDF Renewables and Enbridge partnership, bringing total installed wind capacity in Quebec to 530 MWs.
Construction of Lac-Alfred commenced in June 2011 and reached commercial operation in two phases: Phase 1 (150 MW) in January, 2013; and Phase 2 (150 MW) in August 2013. In total, EDF Renewables will develop and build 1,003.2 MW through seven wind energy projects awarded to EDF Renewables through Hydro-Quebec call for tenders. This project represents one of four wind projects jointly owned by EDF Renewables and Enbridge.
With an investment of about CAD $700 million, the project created more than 350 jobs during the peak construction phase, and around 15 permanent operation and maintenance jobs. Lac-Alfred generates enough clean electricity to meet the needs of about 70,000 Quebec homes.
“A project of this magnitude comes as a result of several years of work by a dedicated team of professionals, a quality relationship with Hydro-Quebec and more importantly the support and involvement of the local communities,” said Antoine Cahuzac, CEO, EDF Energies Nouvelles. “I am proud to take part in this dedication and extend my congratulations to the EDF Renewables team not only for the completion of the largest wind project for our company, but also for their vision of renewable energy and priorities to develop and build each project with attention to safety and responsibility to the local environment. The Lac-Alfred project represents a best practice in wind farm development.”
Al Kurzenhauser, COO, EDF Renewables added, “Over the next 20 years of this contract with Hydro-Quebec, the local municipalities will receive a combined contribution of $750,000 annually. We offer our sincere gratitude to the local communities for their support and enthusiasm of this magnificent project. Furthermore, we acknowledge the outstanding efforts of the development, engineering, construction and commissioning teams who rose to the challenge and set a new standard for being ahead of schedule, and on budget.”
“The Lac-Alfred Wind Project, in partnership with the municipalities, the regional county municipalities (MRC), the local development centers (CLD) and businesses in the region have greatly contributed to the economic development of the electoral district of Matane-Matapédia,” indicated the Minister of Tourism, minister responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, and deputy for Matane-Matapédia, Mr. Pascal Bérubé. “The benefits of this project are important for our community since they are not only financial but also enable us to develop an expertise in this rapidly expanding sector of excellence. Consequently, our region is well positioned as a leader in wind power development in Quebec.”
“Enbridge has been investing in Quebec’s energy infrastructure for nearly 40 years,” said Richard Bird, Executive Vice President, CFO & Corporate Development, Enbridge. “As a longtime partner, we’re proud to continue building strong relationships and further expand our presence in Quebec through this investment.”
“The successful completion of Lac-Alfred, ahead of schedule, is the result of local community and municipality support, combined with the efforts of Enbridge, EDF Renewables and our partners over the past two years,” added Don Thompson, Vice President, Green Power & Transmission for Enbridge. “With all 300 megawatts of Lac-Alfred now online, more than one-third of Enbridge’s total wind power capacity is now in Quebec. This reflects our view of Quebec as an attractive place to do business and we continue to investigate opportunities to expand our investments in the province.”
Lac-Alfred consists of 150 wind turbines supplied by REpower, with a portion of the equipment procured from the designated region of Gaspésie-Bas-Saint-Laurent.
“We are pleased to be part of the dedication of Lac-Alfred today, which is the biggest wind farm in Quebec to date. Together with EDF Renewables, REpower has installed 530 MW in Quebec within a very short time frame. This was only possible due to the excellent and closely cooperating teams on both sides. I am glad that, once more, EDF Renewables has put their trust in REpower – EDF EN and REpower have contracted more than 2 GW across the globe,” says Helmut Herold, CEO, REpower Systems Inc.”
Located in the municipalities of Saint-Cléophas, Sainte-Irène, Saint-Zénon-du-Lac-Humqui and the unorganized territory (UT) of Lac Alfred in the MRC de La Matapédia and in the municipality of La Rédemption and UT Lac-à-la-Croix in the MRC de La Mitis, the project further helps Enbridge meet its Neutral Footprint commitment to generate a kilowatt of renewable energy for every additional kilowatt of conventional power that the company’s operations consume.
EDF Renewables Inc.’s operation and maintenance affiliate, EDF Renewable Services Inc. provides long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) services.