Hydro-Quebec Distribution has announced it received bids totaling 6,627.5 MW for its 450 MW request for proposals (RFP) for Quebec wind energy.
The government-owned utility launched the RFP on Dec. 18, 2013, and it received 54 separate bids from 10 wind developers. Bidders included Invenergy, Innergex, Boralex, Kruger Energy, EDF EN Canada and Pattern Energy, among others.
The RFP seeks 300 MW of wind power to be deployed in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspesie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine regions, as well as 150 MW of capacity installed anywhere across Quebec. It calls for 100 MW to be installed by Dec. 1 2016, and 350 MW to be online by Dec. 1, 2017.
Hydro-Quebec Distribution says it will evaluate the bids and announce which proposals have been accepted as soon as possible.
The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) says it is delighted to see ‘one of Quebec's most competitive" calls for tenders coming to a close.
"It's very positive to see so much interest in the development of wind energy projects in Quebec. The response confirms the strength of the industry that we've established here, in cooperation with the host communities, and it affirms the importance of the wind energy sector in the development Quebec's future and its energy diversity," says Jean-Francois Nolet, vice president of policy and government affairs at CanWEA.
According to CanWEA statistics, Quebec ranks second among Canadian provinces in terms of wind power installed, with 2,398.3 MW online. However, the association recently noted that the Quebec wind energy still faces uncertainty.