Massive Battery Energy Storage System project sparks controversy at Ottawa committee meeting
More than 60 speakers lined up Thursday to speak to the City of Ottawa's Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee over a proposal to build a vast electrical storage facility in West Carleton.
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The subject of the marathon meeting was a $650-million Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) pitched for a parcel of land on Marchurst Road about one kilometre from Thomas A. Dolan Parkway, southwest of Dunrobin.
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Brookfield Renewable Power Inc., through Evolugen, a Canadian company, was seeking a Municipal Support Resolution (MSR) to help clear the way for the project.
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Essentially, a BESS is a massive collective battery — in this case a lithium ion battery — to store electricity and distribute it as needed. The proposed property totals about 81 hectares of land. The electrical storage system would occupy about four hectares, with an additional six hectares used for an access road, a stormwater management pond and a substation.
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Proponents for the project argued that the project was part of the solution as Ontario grappled with increased demand for energy. The BESS and others like it would add capacity and allow for flexible operation of the electrical grid as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions because BESSes reduce the need for power plants during times of peak demand.
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'Our members have delivered dozens of projects just like this one that you are considering today, safely and reliably,' said Andrew Thiele, senior director of policy and government affairs with Energy Storage Canada, which represents about 110 members.
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'Ottawa is in fierce competition with tech hubs around the world to attract talent and capital that empower Canadian businesses to thrive in these rapidly evolving sectors,' Thiel said. 'Often one of the most important concerns raised by our prospective members is that there is a continued and growing need for clean power.'
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But there has been a firestorm over the project. Residents say they were surprised to learn about the proposal and the speed at which it had moved forward. City council rejected another proposal from Evolugen for a similar facility near Fitzroy Harbour last year.
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