Pumped Storage Hydro

OPG updates on status of 400 MW Marmora pumped storage project

OPG updates on status of 400 MW Marmora pumped storage project
(photo courtesy Ontario Power Generation)

Ontario Power Generation and Northland Power Inc. are looking to advance the 400 MW Marmora pumped storage project in Canada to convert an inactive, open-pit iron ore mine into a hydroelectric battery.

Development of the Marmora Pumped Storage Project is a joint venture between the two power producers. Located in the Municipality of Marmora and Lake, the proposed closed-loop hydroelectric pumped storage facility could power up to 400,000 homes at peak demand with clean, renewable electricity for up to five hours. Marmora is located midway between Ottawa and Toronto, regions with high electrical demand.

The project design would use Marmora’s 75-acre iron ore mine, now an artificial lake and local attraction, as the lower reservoir. The upper reservoir would be the mine’s former waste rock pile. The two have an elevation difference of more than 200 m. Repurposing a former mine in this way would be a “first” across Canadian power utilities, OPG said.

The project is expected to create up to 3,500 jobs (direct and indirect) over the facility’s lifespan and potentially displace 70,000 to 140,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

The pumped storage solution also offers many of the same long-term advantages as conventional hydro generating stations, including a lifespan of more than 90 years, significantly lower operating costs compared to other technologies, and lower construction-related environmental impacts, OPG said. The project also supports Canadian investment with more than 70% of the construction costs expected from within the Canadian supply chain.

Currently progressing through a gated approvals process managed by the Independent Electricity System Operator, the Marmora Project is one of several initiatives identified by the Ontario Ministry of Energy as potentially helping meet the province’s emerging future energy needs.

OPG and Northland Power kicked-off the public consultation in late 2022. The project has also been endorsed by several municipal councils and political leaders in the eastern region. Additional engagement activities are expected as project planning work continues.

If approved, the Marmora pumped storage project is expected to be commissioned in late 2029.