Why is OPG building a third tunnel?
Ontario needs clean, renewable electricity, and the new tunnel will allow OPG to divert more water when it is available, increasing the yearly output of clean, renewable hydro electricity from OPG’s Sir Adam Beck generating stations by about 1.6 billion kilowatt hours, enough electricity for a city of about 400,000 or 160,000 Ontario homes. Originally, the Canadian share of the water available for power generation was used at Toronto Power GS, Ontario Power GS, Rankine GS, as well as the Sir Adam Beck stations. All but the Sir Adam Beck stations have been retired. Currently, Niagara River water available to Canada for power generation exceeds the capability of the existing Sir Adam Beck power canal and diversion tunnels (about 1,800 cubic metres per second) approximately 65 per cent of the time. With the tunnel, this will be reduced to about 15 per cent of the time. ^ Top of Page Why now? Ontario’s need for electricity continues to grow. Ontario needs more clean, renewable electricity.
