DRYDEN — A subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation wants to build a pair of energy facilities in Dryden.
Atura Power, which was created in 2019, operates four natural gas plants in southern Ontario. It is also constructing a hydrogen electrolyzer facility in Niagara and a battery energy storage facility at its Napanee gas plant. The company now wants to add another battery storage facility and a solar plant in Dryden, company officials told city council.
“One of the things we like to highlight with these projects is that our aim is to bring real tangible benefits to the city, to the community,” project manager Ryan Dubé said during the company’s presentation. “We want to make sure the projects are a fit for the community, as well as that they're meant (to be) mutually beneficial.”
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is predicting Ontario will have a “significantly” greater need for electricity in the coming decades, driven by things like population growth, industrial expansion, more data centres, and a general trend towards more electric-powered devices, like electric vehicles, Dubé said.
That means additional and more diverse sources of energy will be needed, he added.
The solar plant would generate up to 75 megawatts of electricity to the provincial grid, while the battery storage facility would store and deliver up to 200 megawatts for up to eight hours, according to project documents.
The company plans to build the facilities on a piece of former ranch land it is leasing on Lyle Road.
Should contracting and required approvals go smoothly, Atura said it expects construction to start on the battery facility in 2027, with completion in 2030; construction on the solar plant would begin in 2028 and be up and running a year later.
The company will need a resolution from Dryden council formally supporting the projects.
“One of the things that we expect with a project like this is for it to generate direct commercial benefits,” Dubé said. “So, local spending during construction, as well as ongoing industrial tax payments.”
He added the company is also proposing a “community benefit agreement” to be negotiated with the city.
“This agreement would include dedicated funding that the city could allocate based on its own priorities with the intent of supporting initiatives that matter the most to the community.”
The projects aren’t a done deal yet, however. Dubé said the IESO ultimately has to sign off on them first.
“Based on the way that the IESO process works, it could be either project, it could be both projects or neither project, depending on the outcome of the competitive process,” he said. “As a part of our development process, we began engagement with the community very early on.”
Company officials said its proposal for the solar project is due in October, with their plans for the battery storage facility due in December. If they’re successful, permitting would take places between 2026 and 2028.
Atura Power said, should all go ahead, the initial contracts would be for 20 years from the date the facilities go into commercial operation, with the possibility for subsequent renewal.
