New funding allows Tarquti to plan green energy projects in more communities
$7.6M from the Quebec government lets company conduct detailed studies in eight Nunavik communities.
A photo taken from a drone shows a wind measurement tower built in Puvirnituq. (Photo courtesy of Eugene Putugu / Tarquti Energy)
Updated April 22 at 10:50 a.m.
The Quebec government is providing $7.6 million to Tarquti Energy to continue community outreach and create more green energy projects in Nunavik.
The government plans to spend $24.1 million over the next five years to reduce fossil fuel consumption in the region by at least 50 per cent.
That commitment is part of Quebec’s 2030 Plan for a Green Economy, which aims to reduce the province’s greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5 per cent by 2030.
The government gave $8 million to Tarquti, a Nunavik-owned renewable energy developer, in 2022 for the development of green energy projects in five communities. With the new money, three more communities can begin their green energy planning.
“This agreement gives us capacities for all steps pre-project. Community engagement, developing the capacities, and to make all studies happen,” said Joë Lance, Tarquti’s director general, in a phone interview.
The work will vary from impact assessments to feasibility studies. After they are completed, the communities can start negotiating with Hydro-Quebec for a contract to provide energy.
This added funding allows Tarquti to make more detailed studies in communities it currently works in.
The first five communities where project development started were Quaqtaq, Puvirnituq, Salluit, Kangiqsujuaq and Kuujjuaq. In each village, Tarquti installed towers to evaluate if winds are strong enough to power wind turbines.
Lance said engineering studies are underway now in Kangirsuk for the potential development of a small run-of-river hydroelectric project. And this spring, a wind-measuring tower will be installed in Kangiqsualujjuaq.
The third village where wind studies will be done is yet to be determined.
“Our approach is to evaluate our options,” said Lance.
“I speak a lot of wind measuring, because we know it’s proven to work in the Arctic, but we also evaluate other potentials in communities.”
Some communities might benefit more from hydroelectric power generation while others may rely on wind or solar energy.
“We present those options, we analyze the impacts, benefits, economic or environmental risks,” Lance said. “Then we make a decision together with the community, to determine what is a good project here.”
Note: This story has been corrected to note Kangirsuk’s potential development would be a small run-of-river hydroelectric project.
There was a hydroponic green house in kuujjuaq a while back , what ever happen to that . Is it another failed project ?
That’s the helicopter accident tower in YPX, nice shot Mr Putugu🤙🏽 Time to go thermonuclear powerhouses and resource our own uranium and sell the excess to the highest bidder🤑 Capitalism on Climate. No one wants a stinky seal oil burner anymore to I-Ya-Ya around. Husky Mill Inc. Get those doggies running to earn their keep.🐕
studies upon studies with no result. they’ll put up wind turbines then will complain saying its killing the birds. green energy is a fallacy in the north. until the supply chain is fixed, it will be too expensive build anything. private developer not going to even look at this unless their pockets are full.
I remember around 25 yrs ago , hydro quebec put a big ass wind turbine next to the weather station for research and experiment . must be a report on that in some filing cabinet that can be dusted off.
FYI, the chopper had a mechanical failure working on a coast guard tower. No link with the weather tour. It happened on the project that i was managing back then.
If anyone has a better idea. Do it. But, for now this is a viable option. Anyone else able to generate power without the use of oil and gas?
Do , we have coal deposits in the north ?
Northener, there’s lignite coal all over northwestern Nunavut and bituminous coal in northern Baffin
Go nuclear.