THE WIND FARMS
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms are currently one of the largest clusters of wind farms in Canada. Located on the Seigneurie de Beaupré private land in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, the wind farms were developed in three distinct phases and are now fully operational. They include 164 wind turbines totaling 364 MW of installed capacity.
Phase 1
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms 2&3
Phase 1 of the Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms, which includes the construction of Wind Farms 2 and 3, was developed by the Boralex / Énergir / Valener Quebec consortium in response to Hydro-Québec's 2005 request for proposals to develop 2,000 MW of wind power. The construction began in 2011 and both wind farms were commissioned in December 2013. This first phase consists of 126 wind turbines totaling 272 MW of installed capacity. This first phase alone powers more than 52,000 Quebec homes per year.
Phase 2
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farm 4
Phase 2 of Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms, was also developed by the Boralex / Énergir / Valener Quebec consortium in response to Hydro-Québec's 2005 request for proposals for 2,000 MW of wind power. Construction of the second phase began in 2013 and the wind farm was commissioned in December 2014. It consists of 28 turbines totaling 68 MW of installed capacity and power more than 13,000 Quebec homes per year.
Phase 3
Côte-de-Beaupré Wind Farm
The Côte-de-Beaupré Wind Farm is the third phase of Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms. It consists of 10 wind turbines totaling 24 MW. The wind farm was developed through a partnership between Boralex and the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of La Côte-de-Beaupré.
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The Côte-de-Beaupré Wind Farm is a community project, making the RCM of La Côte-de-Beaupré owners at 49% while the remaining 51% is owned by Boralex. This means that 49% of the revenues generated by the wind farm are distributed to the RCM. Part of these revenues are put in a regional development fund that supports sustainable economic and social development projects.
Location
Development Milestones
Phase 1
Seigneurie de Beaupré 2&3
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Wind Potential Assessment
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Public consultations
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Preliminary design
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Call for tenders
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Detailed engineering
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Environmental Assessment process
Development
2007-2010
Construction
2011-2013
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Roads
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Foundations
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Transport of components
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Collector network
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Substation
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Turbine installation
Commissioning
2013
Phase 2
Seigneurie de Beaupré 4
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Wind Potential Assessment
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Public consultations
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Preliminary design
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Call for tenders
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Detailed engineering
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Environmental Assessment process
Development
2011-2012
Construction
2013-2014
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Roads
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Foundations
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Transport of components
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Collector network
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Turbine installation
Commissioning
2014
Phase 3
Côte-de-Beaupré
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Wind Potential Assessment
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Public consultations
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Preliminary design
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Call for tenders
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Detailed engineering
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Environmental Assessment process
Development
2011-2013
Construction
2013-2014
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Roads
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Foundations
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Transport of components
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Collector network
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Turbine installation
Commissioning
2015
Permitting Process
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In order to obtain the necessary government authorizations, the Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms went through the various steps specified by the Quebec Government environmental approval process.
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To consult all of the documentation related to the environmental approval process for each of the operating wind farms, go to the following links (in French only) on the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) website:
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Economic Benefits
The construction of the Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms created significant economic benefits in the host community. The partners work closely with the Séminaire de Québec, Développement Côte-de-Beaupré and the Côte-de-Beaupré RCM to maximize the use of local resources to meet various needs.
Construction
Jobs
In total, approximately 1,500 jobs were created during the wind farms' construction.
The wind farms generated more than $35 million in economic benefits in the Côte-de-Beaupré RCM, about $2.8 million in the Charlevoix RCM and nearly $300 million in the Greater Quebec City area.
Quebec Economic Benefits
Investments
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms' investment totals $1 billion.
747 M$
Phase 1
186 M$
Phase 2
68 M$
Phase 3
Operating Activities
Jobs
Approximately 30 people are currently working full-time on site to maintain and operate the wind farms.
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farms operating activities still generate significant annual economic benefits in local communities. From 2015 to 2018, these activities generated about $10 million in the La Côte-de-Beaupré RCM and $17 million in the Greater Quebec City area.
Local Economic Benefits
Côte-de-Beaupré Regional Development Fund
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Being a community project, 49% of the revenues generated annually by the Côte-de-Beaupré Wind Farm (phase 3) are paid to the MRC in a regional development fund that supports sustainable economic and social development projects.
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The fund is divided in 3 reserve funds (MRC Fund, West Fund and East Fund) to help implement:
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The Sustainable Community Action Plan
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Côte-de-Beaupré's Local Action Plan for the Economy and Employment (PALÉE)
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The Sustainable Development Plan (SADD)
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The Concerted Regional Strategy for Residual Materials
Since fall of 2016, La Côte-de-Beaupré RCM has financed, via the regional development fund, several projects to beautify Route 138, improve access to the St. Lawrence River and install leisure facilities and infrastructure. The Côte-de-Beaupré RCM has also supported recreation and tourism projects along with several sports, cultural and community activities and events.