Wuskwatim Generating Station
- Construction started in 2006;
- Construction completed in 2012;
- Capacity 200 MW;
- Powerhouse & service bay:
- 118 metres long;
- 3 turbine generators (vertical propeller type);
- Transmission lines:
- 1 230-kV line from Wuskwatim to Birchtree Station (Thompson);
- 2 230-kV lines from Wuskwatim to Herblet Lake Station.
The Wuskwatim Generating Station is located on the Burntwood River, in the Nelson House Resource Management Area, approximately 45 km southwest of Thompson and 35 km southeast of Nelson House. The station was developed and is owned by the Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership (WPLP), a legal entity involving Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) and Manitoba Hydro. Manitoba Hydro operates the station as part of the Manitoba power grid on behalf of WPLP.
Wuskwatim represents the first time Manitoba Hydro has entered into a partnership with a First Nations community on a generating station project. First Nations input was also critical during the design and planning phase of the project, which included combining traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge during the environmental assessment studies. Traditional knowledge will continue to play an important role in monitoring the operation of the project from an environmental perspective.
Wuskwatim's low-head design meant the project created less than one half of a square kilometre of flooding, all contained within the immediate forebay area.
Wuskwatim: A New Way Forward
It was the first time a First Nation and an energy utility partnered to develop a major hydroelectric generating station in Canada. Watch the results of the groundbreaking partnership between the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) and Manitoba Hydro to develop the 200-megawatt Wuskwatim Generating Station. NCN was involved in all aspects of development, from planning, to construction, to the project's ongoing environmental monitoring activities. NCN also has the opportunity to create a long-term source of revenue by investing in ownership of the generating station. Construction was completed in 2012.
Wuskwatim 2010–2011 Construction Update
Watch major construction activities and milestones that took place as work on this project moved into the final phases.
Fish Habitat Enhancement at Wuskwatim
A variety of fish habitat enhancement projects were implemented by the Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership to compensate for fish habitat lost as a result of constructing the Wuskwatim Generating Station.
This includes a soil bioengineering project, which is a type of shoreline stabilization method that has never been conducted before in northern Manitoba.
As well, aquatic vegetation is planted in the forebay to boost vegetation growth along the new shoreline. Both projects will encourage fish to stay in the Wuskwatim area.
View the Wuskwatim Project Development Agreement (PDF, 7.1 MB).
For more information, email Public Affairs.