Heating through electricity in Nunavik, is it possible?
Leaders agree heating should be done through electricity, and not diesel, but there are hurdles
Tarquti Energy Inc. director Joë Lance speaks at a panel at the Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa about new clean energy developments coming to Nunavik. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)
When will Nunavik homes be heated through electricity?
Interest in the topic among regional and provincial leaders is growing, but the road to electrification is not as easy as it seems.
This was one of the main conclusions of this month’s housing meeting in Kuujjuaq, said Nunavik Housing Board director Lupin Daignault.
“The majority of the people at the table agreed that we are heading into a wall when it comes to heating, which will represent important costs,” he said in a French interview.
“We made sure it was mentioned multiple times in the meeting for the elected officials to understand.”
The majority of Nunavik’s buildings are heated by oil, which comes with high costs. The main hurdle in changing to electric, Daignault said, is that current Hydro-Quebec infrastructure doesn’t offer the amount of electricity required to support electric heating.
“For the time being, fuel is a more efficient and economical energy source than electricity for space and water heating,” said Lynn St-Laurent, a spokesperson for Hydro-Quebec, in a French email.
She said the amount of electricity required to heat every home through any Nunavik community’s central generator would take “quadruple the power of the diesel centrals, and triple the quantity of fuel used.”
The prospect of moving to electric heating “is a complex question and will not be solved immediately,” she said, pointing to another challenge: moving every Nunavik community off diesel for its power generation.
Hydro-Quebec is deploying multiple initiatives aimed to reduce diesel dependency.
St-Laurent said further analysis must be made to integrate wind power with other sources, because wind is not a constant, stable source of energy like hydroelectricity.
Inukjuak is one community moving off diesel — it’s partly powered by the Innavik Hydro dam. With that infrastructure in place, Hydro-Quebec was able to create a conversion program to allow heating to be supplied by both electricity and diesel.
According to Tarquti Energy Inc., the leading organization in promoting and supporting clean energy projects in Nunavik communities, 27.7 million litres of diesel is burned each year to keep people warm in the region.
Heating is the most important aspect to address when developing clean energy projects, said Joë Lance, a director with Tarquti.
“We designed our project not only to displace the diesel used for electricity production, but also to enable electrical heating in the homes,” he said Wednesday during a panel presentation at the Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa.
Currently, there are two wind projects nearing completion. One three-megawatt wind turbine is expected to be ready for operation in Quaqtaq by 2027 and three wind turbines of the same power in Puvirnituq by 2028.
Those two projects required a $165-million investment, but are estimated to generate $350 million in revenue over 25 years and will displace more than 3.5 million litres of diesel a year.
The excess electricity generated by the windmills can be used to help heat buildings in those communities, Lance said.
Time for a serious look at a micro-reactor in Nunavik.
Reactors are actually another reliable source energy. Only issue with micro reactors is that 1. they are still in study phase 2. even the smaller reactors and still too be even for Kuujjuaq 3. very expensive 4. disposal of the waste
Sure, we can heat homes in the North using electricity – so long as the electricity is supplied by power-plants that burn fossil-fuel. Any other option (other than nuclear) is foolhardy, at best.
Why are politicians not talking to feed Northern Quebec with steady electricity and not unreliable, irregular, expensive wind industry product?
Wind turbines must have 100% an up to date diesel generating power plant to keep base load stability.
Of course, the wind industry is financially lucrative for the owner. Who will receive oodles of taxpayer subsidies. And paid big bucks when the wind doesn’t blow, if wind is too strong as turbine must be stopped. Or is producing when is not needed because it may cause problems at the diesel generating plant.
Free wind for higher electricity bill.
Over in the Kivalliq, hunters successfully stopped a mine from erecting 10 to 15 massive turbines over caribou concerns.
Then enters an Inuit org who’ll erect 5 to 7 massive turbines slightly closer to Rankin.
Guessing it is assumed the Inuit Org will pay hunters for the disruption, loss of caribou and Quebec the caribou hunter outfitters loss?
Nine USA states pay compensation to commercial and recreational fishermen for damages caused by wind turbines offshore. Who will pay for human health and mental health issues caused by wind turbines?
Now the door is wide open for the mine to slap up their wind turbines as the caribou argument falls flat. Of course, that is, if lucrative wind subsidies are still flowing like water for Wind Industry owners. Because the bank of Canada is talking, Canada is spiralling into bankruptcy.
Waste to Energy. Each community could power off the fires of the dump. Electrical output disruptions could cause frozen homes and is perhaps a backup power source for diesel power problems. They talk now, but to actually have it in motion will not be until 2060, 35 years later 🤑
Vortex Bladeless Turbines should be a priority over those massive and loud wind mills, they requires less wind make no sound or massive vibrations but only “hurdle” is that its based in a different country but if they’re hell bent on clean energy like I believe to be pragmatic, they would look at all aspects of energy generation.
water needs are much more urgent. Most communities need water and sewage not by truck. Please help.