08:16 AM EDT, 04/25/2023 (MT Newswires) -- Hydro One (H.TO) on Tuesday said Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is supporting construction of the second phase of the Waasigan Transmission Line in the province's north to supply mining projects in the region with clean energy.
The electricity distributor said the system operator is recommending it build a single-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line from the town of Atikokan and the city of Dryden in the northwest of the province.
The initial phase of the Wassigan project, a double-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line between the town of Shuniah and Atikokan, is expected to be in service by 2025. The company is in the midst of securing environmental approvals for the project and expects to this year submit a Leave to Construct application for both phases to the Ontario Energy Board.
"Hydro One is expanding the clean electricity system to harness the wealth of minerals in the northwest and support the incredible growth in the province ... As demand for electricity is expected to grow by nearly two per cent per year for the next 20 years in Ontario , it is absolutely critical that we work together to get the necessary infrastructure built in time to meet those emerging needs," chief executive David Lebeter said in a release.