Wataynikaneyap Power has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aecom Technology-led team for construction of a new transmission line project in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.
Comprising PowerTel and Deutsche Bank, the Aecom-team will provide design, construction and financial services for the line, which will partly be owned and operated by a yet-to-be selected qualified, licensed transmission partner.
Wataynikaneyap Power chair Margaret Kenequanash said the company aims for grid connection of remote communities and the elimination of reliance on diesel generation.
”There are many health, safety, and environmental concerns with diesel generation, and it does not meet the needs of our communities. Grid connection will change that, and our partnership will provide the necessary expertise to move this important infrastructure project forward,” Kenequanash added.
Aecom chairman and chief executive officer John Dionisio said, ”We look forward to leveraging AECOM’s expertise while participating in this important project, which is projected to benefit communities by enabling economic development and providing opportunities for employment and environmental improvement once operational.”
The project’s first phase covers construction of a new transmission line to Pickle Lake, Ontario, while the second phase focuses on connecting remote First Nations communities to the provincial power grid.