Hydro-Québec Distribution issues a call for tenders for 450 MW of wind power

In accordance with Québec government decrees, Hydro-Québec Distribution issues today a call for tenders for the purchase of a block of wind power produced by facilities with an installed capacity of 450 MW, composed of 300 MW for the Bas St-Laurent and Gaspésie?Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions and 150 MW for projects across Québec.

The projects will be linked to Hydro-Québec main network within the following timeframes :

100 MW not later than December 1, 2016;
350 MW not later than December 1, 2017.

The energy price, to which must be added the cost of transmission and the cost of balancing service and firming capacity, must not exceed 9.0 cents/kWh in 2014 dollars. The contracts will be approved by the Régie de l’énergie.

The projects will have to include regional and Québec content:

a minimum of 60% of total project costs must be spent in Québec, including costs for the installation of wind turbines;
a minimum of 35% of wind turbine costs must be allocated to the regional county municipality of La Matanie and the administrative region of Gaspésie?Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

Here are some important dates from the schedule shown in the call for tenders document:

pre-bid conference dates for potential bidders:
- session in Montréal (in French) : February 11, 2014 at 9h00;
- session in Montreal (in English) : February 11, 2014 at 14h00;
- session in Québec city (in French) : February 13, 2014 at 9h00.
bid submission deadline: September 3, 2014 at 4 p.m (Montreal time);
opening of bids : September 4, 2014.

Hydro-Québec Distribution has mandated the firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and Cie to assist in the tendering process and to act as its official representative.

The call for tenders document, the registration form for the pre-bid conference, the registration form for call for tenders and the bid form are available on Hydro-Québec Distribution's Web site: www.hydroquebec.com/distribution/en/marchequebecois.

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Louis-Olivier Batty, Press Officer
514 289-4214
batty.louis-olivier@hydro.qc.ca