Ontario Construction News staff writer
Neoen has been awarded two 20-year contracts by the Independent Electricity System Operator to develop solar projects in northern Ontario totalling 318 MWp / 250 MWac.
The contracts were issued through the IESO’s second Long-Term Energy Supply procurement and cover the full output of both facilities.
“I would like to congratulate our Canadian team for having secured close to 1 GW of capacity in under 4 years,” said Emmanuel Pujol, Neoen’s Regional CEO for the Americas. “These two new contracts reflect the success of Neoen’s strategy in the country, where we are building a diversified portfolio of renewable energy and storage assets to support growing electricity demand.
The larger project, a 253 MWp / 200 MWac solar farm near Dunns Valley, is expected to be the largest in Ontario. It will be developed through a 50 per cent equity partnership with Garden River First Nation. A second project, a 65 MWp / 50 MWac solar installation near Paradis Bay, will be co-owned in a 50 per cent partnership with Matachewan First Nation.
The projects are expected to produce approximately 475 GWh of electricity annually—enough to supply more than 50,000 homes—supporting increasing demand on Ontario’s electricity system with renewable generation.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028. The Paradis Bay project is targeted for completion in 2029, followed by the Dunns Valley facility in 2030.
The projects bring Neoen’s secured Canadian portfolio to 968 MW of solar and battery storage capacity. The company has been expanding its presence in Canada since 2022, with projects in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, including a large-scale battery storage development in Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory.
