Ontario Construction News staff writer
AECOM has been chosen by Worley to support the next phase of development of the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Project (OPSP), a major long-duration energy storage project planned for Meaford.
AECOM will join the Worley-led team providing front-end engineering and design, cost estimating, execution planning and project readiness services for the proposed project.
OPSP is expected to provide approximately 1,000 megawatts of generation capacity and 10,600 megawatt-hours of energy storage.
The site would store electricity during periods of lower demand and return it to the provincial grid when demand is higher, providing long-duration capacity and flexibility to Ontario’s electricity system.
Pumped storage uses reservoirs at different elevations to store energy. Electricity is used to move water to an elevated reservoir when power is available, with the water later released through turbines to generate electricity.
As part of the Worley-led team, AECOM will support the development of the project’s underground works and hydraulic systems. Its work will include optimizing designs for constructability, operability and long-term performance.
AECOM will also contribute to cost and schedule development, risk assessment and other engineering activities as the project advances toward an investment decision.
The design has also been revised following early feedback from community members in Meaford and Saugeen Ojibway Nation, with changes intended to strengthen protections for fish, fish habitat and the aquatic and near-shore environments.
One of the major changes is relocating the powerhouse away from the shoreline and placing it underground in a cavern. The company says burying the major pumping and generating components will substantially reduce visible shoreline structures and is expected to make operational noise imperceptible.
The proposed inlet and outlet system that would interact with Georgian Bay has also been redesigned. The water intake and outfall would be located away from the shoreline, with tunnels beneath the lakebed extending into deeper water.
The inlet and outlet structures would be raised above the lakebed to avoid bottom-dwelling aquatic organisms and reduce the potential for turbidity. The design would also eliminate visible in-water infrastructure and shoreline or near-shore structures associated with the water intake and outfall.
Fish protection measures would include reduced water withdrawal speeds and permanent fixed screens. The project proponents say the combination of lower water speeds and appropriately sized screens is intended to protect fish that may be present.
The project will require environmental studies examining potential effects on fish and fish habitat, water resources, wildlife and other sensitive environmental resources. Studies are expected to support environmental and socio-economic assessment documents for applications under the federal Impact Assessment Act and Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act.
“Ontario is entering a period of significant electricity demand growth, making long-duration energy storage increasingly important to a reliable and flexible electricity system,” said Richard Barrett, chief executive of AECOM’s Canada region.
The company said its work on the OPSP builds on its experience in hydropower and pumped-storage projects internationally.
The proposed project is intended to provide additional flexibility to Ontario’s electricity system by storing power for use when demand is higher, while making greater use of existing and future generation resources.
