Construction Starts On Atikokan Biomass Conversion Project

Conversion will provide on demand renewable energy

Atikokan, ON - Work on the conversion of Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Atikokan Generating Station to use biomass is underway. 

“This is an exciting and important initiative,” said Tom Mitchell, OPG’s President and CEO. “We are committed to safely completing this project on time and on budget. To help us meet this goal, there has been a tremendous amount of upfront planning.”

Mitchell also noted that Atikokan is only one of many major generation projects that OPG is undertaking to expand and modernize its thermal, hydro and nuclear capability. “These activities are giving OPG significant project management experience which promises major benefits for Ontario – in the form of innovative partnerships, economic growth and job creation.” 

The Atikokan conversion project includes plant modifications and the construction of a fuelstorage and handling system to repower the plant from coal to biomass fuel. Biomass will be the only fuel used at Atikokan in the future. All of OPG’s thermal plants will cease using coal by the
end of 2014.

The converted Atikokan station will have an installed capacity of more than 200 megawatts and provides renewable electricity generation from a sustainable fuel. When the conversion project is completed in 2014, Atikokan will be the largest capacity 100 per cent biomass fueled power plant in North America. The converted plant will generate renewable, on demand, peak capacity power, and create about 200 construction jobs.

Information about the project is available at www.opg.com/power/thermal/atikokan.asp.