French independent power producer Neoen has secured a 20-year capacity services contract from Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) under its Long-Term 2 Capacity Services procurement, delivering 190 MW of eight-hour power capacity via a new utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS).
The facility will feature a 200 MW / 1,600 MWh battery storage asset, designed to charge power during off-peak demand and dispatch electricity to the grid at peak hours to strengthen system reliability. Located roughly 15 kilometres west of Dryden in northwestern Ontario, construction is scheduled to kick off in 2028, with full commercial operation targeted for 2030.
A landmark Indigenous partnership defines the project’s ownership structure: Neoen will co-develop the asset with Eagle Lake First Nation, an Ojibwe Indigenous community. This marks Eagle Lake First Nation’s debut utility-scale renewable development, set to spur local employment and regional investment.
- 400 MW four-hour battery storage project on Saugeen Ojibway Nation territory
- 253 MWdc solar plant co-owned with Garden River First Nation
- 65 MWdc solar facility co-developed with Matachewan First Nation
- 93 MWdc Fox Coulée solar farm in Alberta (operational)
- 157 MW Mino Giizis solar project under construction in Saskatchewan, partnered with the Anishinabek Power Alliance
