Enbridge proposing Battery Energy Storage System in Kincardine

Enbridge, which operates the Underwood and Cruickshank wind farms in Kincardine, is proposing to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the municipality.

Denise Heckbert (above, right), supervisor of strategy and market policy, and Sumesh Guptar (above, left), manager of power storage, made a presentation to Kincardine council at the Oct. 11 meeting, outlining the project. If approved, the storage system would be built beside Enbridge’s existing sub-station on the 7th Concession.

Heckbert said these systems are on the rise around the world as nations work to replace coal- and oil-fired generation with lower-carbon electricity resources, including wind and solar power. They help balance the electricity grid by charging when demand is low and feeding electricity into the grid when demand is high and/or generation from other resources is low.

She said the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has procured nearly 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity and plans to purchase a further 2.5 GW next year for projects that must enter operation in May, 2028, but will be incentivized to enter operation in May, 2027. Of that amount, 1,600 megawatts (MW) will come from BESS projects.

Guptar said the battery storage system would have its own connection to the transmission line; it would not be connected to the wind farm. It would be no more than 150 MW capacity and require about 15 acres on Enbridge-owned land at the Underwood wind project.

In the event the project is selected next summer, Enbridge will undertake environmental studies, land-use studies, and interconnection studies to ensure the project can be built safely for employees, the community, and the environment, said Heckbert. Construction would likely begin in 2025 and would include laying foundations for the batteries to rest on at the site, and then trucking in the batteries.

“The batteries are built off-site and are moved in, like small shipping containers,” she said. “There would be increased traffic on the road and some related noise and dust, but relatively little compared to other major construction work. This work would offer job opportunities to local vendors for the studies required, site preparation, fencing, sub-station construction, foundation work and other civil work at the site. We cannot yet discuss dollar amounts, due to the competitive bid process, but we anticipate the project would also result in significant new tax revenue for Kincardine.”

Enbridge would also pay for additional training for the fire department in dealing with a fire at the battery storage system project, said Heckbert.

She said the first public meeting was held in early October, with about 15 people attending. Most of the concerns were about noise, but many people were just interested in how the project works.

If the BESS project is selected by the IESO, a follow-up meeting will be held, including final size and technology details, said Heckbert. “We will undertake consultations directly with Indigenous communities and will be completing the fulsome provincial Class EA environmental review process for this project.”

She said these projects are more likely to be successful if they have municipal support. Therefore, Enbridge is requesting that council pass a resolution of support for the development, construction and operation of a BESS of up to 150 MW in the municipality, and then sign a letter of municipal support, referencing that resolution, so it can be included with Enbridge’s bid package to the IESO in early-December.

Councillor Beth Blackwell asked about fire safety and training for local fire departments.

Guptar said that in case of fire, Enbridge would be the first-responder at the site, making it safe for the firefighters to come in. “The course of action is to let the module burn out, which takes about 16 hours. Then the fire department would ensure the fire doesn’t spread into the community, and put water on adjacent modules. The procedures would have to be discussed with the fire department.”

Heckbert said Enbridge would provide and fund the required training, and work with fire and emergency services to ensure the training is tailored to this community.

Mayor Kenneth Craig said the municipality looks forward to working with Enbridge on this project.

The request will be referred to staff for a report back to council.



A drawing of the proposed project, looking northwest of the site