Pictou County Power Plants Shift to Water-Saving Tech

Power plant proposals for Pictou County have evolved, with the grid operator now mandating low-water technology. This decision means the new natural gas and diesel plants will not draw or discharge water at an industrial scale, a change implemented 10 months after the initial gas-fired plant plans were revealed. Local opposition had voiced significant concerns about draining aquifers and harming wetland ecosystems.

Initially, each 300-megawatt plant was projected to draw 175,000 liters of water per hour, producing 50,000 liters of wastewater per hour. However, recent studies indicated insufficient groundwater for such high-water usage. Consequently, the grid operator, IESO, has revised its procurement process to require low-water emissions control technology, commonly known as 'dry low NOx.'

The IESO will solicit proposals from companies to build and operate the facilities. While some dry technologies use ammonia instead of water, the IESO expects no ammonia discharge. Despite this technological shift addressing water discharge, some environmental groups and residents remain concerned about potential spills and the overall impact of fossil fuel infrastructure on sensitive watersheds and ecosystems like those supporting Atlantic salmon.