Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources has chosen AXOR Group Inc. to develop, build, and operate two small hydro sites totaling 11 MW, on the Namewaminikan River near Beardmore in Canada’s Ontario province.
Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay announced the selection Jan. 31, giving AXOR permission to pursue environmental approvals to build the facilities and an opportunity to offer generation for the Ontario Energy Ministry’s request for proposals for renewable energy.
Before construction can begin, the sites — 2AD6 and 2AD7 — must pass environmental assessment and public review. The ministry did not disclose individual plant capacities.
The Energy Ministry is coordinating its RFP process with the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Waterpower Site Release program. Development of hydropower sites on government-owned land is expected to make a significant contribution to achieving the government’s target of generating 5 percent more of Ontario’s total energy capacity from new renewable sources by 2007 and 10 percent by 2010, the Natural Resources Ministry said.
