Minister orders more study of Marmora energy storage plan

Smith wants review of reports that say turning flooded open pit iron mine into a storage site is too costly

The flooded mine, aka lake, and the tailings on the right. Photo courtesy of OPG/Northland Power.

I know this is outside Trent Hills, but it’s still pretty local and no other media exist to cover the story for residents. Regular programming returns soon. This story draws on the excellent coverage by Fatima Syed and Denise Balkissoon on The Narwhal.

Energy Minister Todd Smith isn’t ready to give up on the idea of a pumped storage electrical project using the former open-pit mine in Marmora, even though two reports have said it is not an economic way to store electric energy.

The province knows it needs ways to store energy that is generated in off-peak times, or by solar and wind power, so the power can be used when needed. It has approved some battery storage sites.

On Jan. 9, Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte, sent a letter to the so-called Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) asking it to take another look at the possible economic benefits of the Marmora plan by Ontario Power Generation and Northland Power. He also asked the agency to reconsider a similar system proposed for the Meaford area by TC Energy and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

In his letter, Smith said: “the IESO has noted that under currently proposed cost structures, the PS (pumped storage) projects do no compare favourably to currently available alternatives, including a battery storage.”

He asked the IESO to consider “a valuation of other broader societal and economic benefits of these projects.”

The projects would both involve pumping water to a high spot, in Marmora’s case up from the 200 metre depths of the flooded mine, storing it and then dropping it back down to generate electricity when needed. It’s estimated the Marmora project could cost $2 billion, while the Meaford one is more than double that.

Smith said OPG and Northland Power had asked for additional time to provide updated information about wider potential benefits. He asked the IESO to wait for that information, update its analysis, then report back to him.

Last fall, Smith had said he would make a decision on both projects by Nov. 30, if the IESO found either project showed “a potential benefit to Ontario electricity consumers.”

It didn’t find any benefit. Battery storage is cheaper at this point.

Now, he wants a broader look at possible benefits of the Marmora project and is also encouraging the Meaford project to seek federal money to lower the cost to the province.

“As a result, I am not prepared to make a final determination at this time on either project,” Smith wrote.

“Long-duration energy storage could plan an important role in meeting electricity system needs, including enabling greater integration of intermittent renewable generation and complementing future nuclear generation,” he said.

OPG and Northland say their proposed 400MW closed-loop pumped-storage facility could power up to 400,000 homes at peak demand for up to five hours.

The project design would use Marmora’s long inactive iron-ore mine, now an artificial lake, as the facility’s lower reservoir. The upper reservoir will be created on the site of the mine’s waste rock pile.

The Ford government cancelled a range of renewable projects when it took power, paying $250 million to get out of signed contracts, but it has recently seen the light, a green one, apparently, and is supporting some plans.

As well, Smith announced on Tuesday that the province will seek approval to refurbish four aging 1980s Candu nuclear reactors at Pickering to extend their lives for another 30 years, in the face of rapidly growing demand.