Local mine may soon be powering the lights

Marc Venema

The Marmora Mine could soon be producing enough power for up to 180 thousand homes.

If Northland Power has their way, the old mine will be turned into a pumped storage area. The proposed project would pump water up into a reservoir during off-peak hours and then release it back down into the mine during on-peak hours to create electricity.

Decades of mining has created a massive lower reservoir for water storage. A turbine system would allow the water to flow back and forth from the reservoir to the mine when needed, creating 400 megawatts of electricity.

The project would cost an estimated $660 million to build and create up to one thousand jobs during the construction phase. Another 45 full time jobs would be created if and when the facility is completed.

Ron Chittick, CAO at the Municipality of Marmora and Lake is all for the proposed plan.

“It would be a tremendous project for Marmora and Lake and all of the region”, Chattick said.

Chittick said Northland Power have the concept plans in place and have had discussions with communities and provincial ministries and that a contract with the Ontario Power Authority is all that’s needed.

John Wright, developer at Northland Power, said the plan would put Marmora on the map.

“We are looking at building a facility that people can come look at and visit the natural wetlands that are there and learn more about nature and it will be quite remarkable to see.” he said. “It will make Marmora a destination”.

Wright said if a contract is met by 2012, the facility could be in operation by 2015.