End of work at Chelsea generating station and lowering of the river’s water level

Refurbishment work at Chelsea generating station is on schedule and Hydro-Québec expects it to be completed by the end of November.

Once the work has been completed, Hydro-Québec will lower the water level of the Rivière Gatineau upstream of the generating station to 96 metres. The operation is planned for the first two weeks of December and will allow for the temporary platform currently installed to be removed so that the work can be carried out safely.

By the end of the work, the water level of the Rivière Gatineau will be maintained at approximately 97 m, about 50 cm lower than usual at this time of year. Riverside residents and wharf owners are encouraged to remove their boats, docks and boat ramps before the end of November to avoid impacts from the further lowering of the river level.

About the refurbishment
To ensure the long-term operability of its facilities, Hydro-Québec began refurbishment work at Chelsea generating station in spring 2022. The project encompasses the dam deck, emergency access points and emergency exits.

Hydroelectric facilities are among the most sustainable type of energy production facilities, and one-hundred-year-old generating stations are not uncommon in Québec. Chelsea generating station and its associated dam are located on the Rivière Gatineau in Chelsea. The generating station, with an installed capacity of 153 MW, was commissioned in 1927. It is located a few hundred metres upstream of its sister station, Rapides-Farmer generating station.

For questions concerning this project, the public is invited to call the Info-project line at 1-800-465-1521, ext. 6022.