Quebec firm to build third Ontario energy storage facility near Woodstock

As Ontario faces a growing demand for power, a Quebec-based renewable energy company looks to supply the province's surging need for more electricity.

Boralex Inc. will add to its portfolio of energy projects in Ontario. The company announced on Friday it was awarded a contract to construct a battery energy storage system (BESS) in South-west Oxford, a township in Oxford County, by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the corporation that co-ordinates and integrates Ontario's electricity system.

“It's the best way forward right now until we can beef up all the transmission lines and the amount of energy that's being created,” said South-west Oxford councillor Paul Buchner.

Buchner said more sources of energy would be necessary to service new developments in the community.

Although the facility will be in South-west Oxford and provide power to its residents, it also will serve Oxford County and Woodstock, a city experiencing growth, because of the site's proximity to the city.

The BESS will be sited at Thornton Sand and Gravel.

“We are pretty sure that's probably the best spot for it (because) no agricultural land is being used up and it's an isolated spot,” Buchner said.

The project will be connected to a Hydro One transmission line north of the site.

The Oxford BESS is projected to be functional for commercial operation by 2027 or 2028 and expected to provide 125 megawatts capacity.

The company's presence in the province fills the need for more energy as the demand for power increases amidst population and economic growth.

The IESO estimates the demand for power in Southwestern Ontario will quadruple by 2035.

“The Oxford (BESS) will create long term value while contributing to the resilience of Ontario's power grid,” said Patrick Decostre, Boralex president and chief executive in a news release.

he announcement of the contract “confirms Boralex's role as a key player in renewable energies in Canada,” Decostre said.

The company has two other battery storage projects underway in Southwestern Ontario.

A 300-megawatt project in Hagersville, about 45 kilometres northwest of Hamilton, and the 80-megawatt site in the Chatham-kent community of Tilbury, are both slated to begin operating in 2025.

Operating in Ontario for nearly 15 years, the Quebec-based company also has wind farms in the Niagara and Chatham-kent regions.

The company said building the site will employ about 75 workers, and once complete, will only require two employees to operate the facility.

Boralex plans to begin constructing the site in early 2026.