New Brunswick’s Energy Resources

Edmundston Energy – 8.5 MW

The City of Edmundston is the only city in New Brunswick to produce its own electricity. The city’s Energy Department was created in 1910 to power a pumping station on the community’s water supply. The Department has been expanding ever since, and now has two fully refurbished run-of-the-river hydro generating stations on the St. John and Madawaska Rivers, including one in downtown Edmundston that is over 100 years old.

Energy Edmundston currently has a renewable generating capacity of 8.5 megawatts, the output of which is sold told NB Power through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Edmundston Energy in turn sources its wholesale power requirements from NB Power.

Sisson - 9 MW

NB Power’s Sisson Hydroelectric Generating Station is located west of Nictau and operates on Sission Lake, the largest of the four storage reservoirs within the Tobique River watershed.

The power plant was built in 1965 with a 442-metre long steel penstock that supplies water to the powerhouse. The powerhouse includes a Francis turbine with a total capacity of 9 megawatts. The storage dam at Sission also acts as a regulator for the water flowing 112 kilometres downstream to the Tobique Hydro plant.

Nepisiguit - 10.5 MW

The Nepisiguit Falls Generating Station is a hydroelectric power generation station located on the Nepisiguit River 20 minutes south of Bathurst. The Station began operation in 1921 and consists of three generating units with a total output capacity of 10.5 megawatts.

NB Power purchased the Nepisiguit hydro station in 2007 and continues to maintain and upgrade the operating equipment to current safety and operational standards. The original plant infrastructure is now over 100 years old and has undergone several life-extension refurbishment projects.

St. George - 15 MW

St. George Power Limited Partnership (SGPLP) operates a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility on the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick.

The hydro facility was extensively redeveloped in 2002-2004 and has a current annual generating capacity of approximately 45,000 MW-Hr of electricity generated from 2 turbines having a combined maximum capacity of 15 megawatts.

Tobique - 20 MW

The Tobique Narrows Generating Station takes its name from one of the largest tributaries of the upper St. John River. This hydroelectric plant was built in 1953 on the discharge of the Tobique River and produces a total capacity of 20 megawatts using two Kaplan-style turbines.

The Tobique hydro dam also has a roadway that sits on top of the dam infrastructure that serves as a bridge. The dam infrastructure also includes a fish ladder or series of steps that allow Atlantic Salmon to swim from the lower level of the dam to the waters of the Tobique and their spawning grounds.

Perth-Andover Electric Light Commission and the Tinker Dam - 34 MW

The village of Perth-Andover operates its own Electric Light Commission and provides its residents with highly competitive power rates.

Under an agreement with the Maine & New Brunswick Electrical Power Co. Ltd. the village purchases power from the Tinker Dam on the Aroostook River, which is located in Aroostook Junction, NB and immediately downstream from Fort Fairfield, Maine. The dam is located less than 1 km from the Canada-United States border and its reservoir extends upstream into the State of Maine.

The dam’s powerhouse has five hydroelectric generating units with a total capacity of 34 megawatts, uniquely serving electric utility customers on both sides of the international border.

Grand Falls

The Grand Falls hydroelectric dam was constructed in 1931 on the St. John River, roughly 200 km north of Fredericton.

The plant was owned and operated by International Paper until 1959, when it was purchased by NB Power. The location chosen for the project is a natural waterfall featuring rock ledges where the river drops a total of 23 metres.

The falls and gorge are in the heart of Grand Falls. The dam was built at the top of the falls, with a water intake system that feeds into a pressure tunnel running beneath the town to the powerhouse where the electricity is generated. The station currently operates with 4 turbines and has a total production capacity of 66 megawatts.

Beechwood - 113 MW

Beechwood is a hydroelectric power station on the St. John River located between Bath and Pert-Andover, 160 kilometres north of Fredericton. Beechwood has three turbines and a generating capacity of 113 megawatts. It was constructed by NB Power and began operation in 1957.

It features a run-of-the-river design, often used at sites where limited water storage is available. In this case, the dam’s normal upstream reservoir level is roughly 18 metres above the river’s surface downstream.

Beechwood - 113 MW

Beechwood is a hydroelectric power station on the St. John River located between Bath and Pert-Andover, 160 kilometres north of Fredericton. Beechwood has three turbines and a generating capacity of 113 megawatts. It was constructed by NB Power and began operation in 1957.

It features a run-of-the-river design, often used at sites where limited water storage is available. In this case, the dam’s normal upstream reservoir level is roughly 18 metres above the river’s surface downstream.

Perth-Andover Electric Light Commission and the Tinker Dam - 34 MW

The village of Perth-Andover operates its own Electric Light Commission and provides its residents with highly competitive power rates.

Under an agreement with the Maine & New Brunswick Electrical Power Co. Ltd. the village purchases power from the Tinker Dam on the Aroostook River, which is located in Aroostook Junction, NB and immediately downstream from Fort Fairfield, Maine. The dam is located less than 1 km from the Canada-United States border and its reservoir extends upstream into the State of Maine.

The dam’s powerhouse has five hydroelectric generating units with a total capacity of 34 megawatts, uniquely serving electric utility customers on both sides of the international border.

Mactaquac - 653 MW

The Mactaquac Generating Station is a run-of-the-river hydro facility with an installed generation capacity of 660 megawatts, supplying about 12 percent of New Brunswick homes and businesses with clean, low-cost power.

The facility began generating electricity in 1968. Since the 1980s, concrete portions of the hydro station have been affected by a chemical reaction called alkali-aggregate reaction. The reaction causes the concrete to swell and crack and has required substantial annual maintenance and repairs.

NB Power is proposing a project to ensure the station can operate to its intended 100-year lifespan with a modified approach to maintenance and adjusting and replacing equipment over time. This recommendation follows three years of expert research, including input from science, engineers, the public and First Nations.

Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station - 660 MW

NB Power’s Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is located roughly 40 km west of Saint John along the Bay of Fundy coast. It is the only nuclear power generating facility located in Atlantic Canada. The CANDU-6 nuclear reactor has a baseload production capacity of 660 megawatts and supplies approximately 40% of New Brunswick’s total power requirements.

The station was originally constructed over eight years starting in 1975. After a major refurbishment and overhaul, it was declared commercially operational again in November 2012. Point Lepreau is fuelled by natural uranium sourced from Western Canada and the plant site includes an integrated nuclear waste management facility. Onsite full-time Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission staff regularly conduct inspections to evaluate operations while verifying compliance with national regulatory requirements and licence conditions.

Shediac Smart Energy Project

The Shediac Smart Energy Community Project is part of a four-year federally funded research program administered by NB Power aimed at determining how emerging energy technologies can be optimized to provide customer, community, and societal benefits. The primary focus includes enhanced grid reliability and resilience with reducing overall energy consumption and minimizing the community’s carbon footprint.

The Shediac Smart Energy Community Project is partnering with hundreds of homeowners in the region to deploy and test new smart energy technologies and renewable energy resources, including solar applications. This project includes NB Power’s first utility-scale solar facility, located within the municipality of Shediac, with an anticipated capacity of 1.63 megawatts. The solar facility will be connected to the distribution network in Shediac and will provide clean energy for New Brunswick’s first two commercial net-zero buildings, with excess renewable energy flowing into the community.

North Branch Energy Neighbourhood Project

The North Branch Smart Energy Neighbourhood Project in Moncton is part of a four-year federally-funded demonstration program called Smart Grid Atlantic. It will be the first of its kind in New Brunswick. The program was made possible as a result of a partnership between Progeny Modern Homes, Siemens, and NB Power.

The project consists of a neighbourhood of net-zero-ready homes that will be constructed in phases. The homes will include a range of smart energy technologies, such as home energy management systems, rooftop solar and storage batteries. Each home will be able to function independently as a ‘nanogrid’ and will also be part of a ‘microgrid’, where all homes involved in the project are connected and can share the solar energy they generate with their neighbours as part of a neighbourhood energy exchange program.

North Branch Energy Neighbourhood Project

The North Branch Smart Energy Neighbourhood Project in Moncton is part of a four-year federally-funded demonstration program called Smart Grid Atlantic. It will be the first of its kind in New Brunswick. The program was made possible as a result of a partnership between Progeny Modern Homes, Siemens, and NB Power.

The project consists of a neighbourhood of net-zero-ready homes that will be constructed in phases. The homes will include a range of smart energy technologies, such as home energy management systems, rooftop solar and storage batteries. Each home will be able to function independently as a ‘nanogrid’ and will also be part of a ‘microgrid’, where all homes involved in the project are connected and can share the solar energy they generate with their neighbours as part of a neighbourhood energy exchange program.

Shediac Smart Energy Project

The Shediac Smart Energy Community Project is part of a four-year federally funded research program administered by NB Power aimed at determining how emerging energy technologies can be optimized to provide customer, community, and societal benefits. The primary focus includes enhanced grid reliability and resilience with reducing overall energy consumption and minimizing the community’s carbon footprint.

The Shediac Smart Energy Community Project is partnering with hundreds of homeowners in the region to deploy and test new smart energy technologies and renewable energy resources, including solar applications. This project includes NB Power’s first utility-scale solar facility, located within the municipality of Shediac, with an anticipated capacity of 1.63 megawatts. The solar facility will be connected to the distribution network in Shediac and will provide clean energy for New Brunswick’s first two commercial net-zero buildings, with excess renewable energy flowing into the community.

Cap-Pelé - 2.4 MW

The Cap-Pelé Wind Project is a single wind turbine owned by WKB Community Wind and is part of NB Power’s embedded generation program. The project is located two kilometres southeast of Botsford Portage on private land, about 800 metres from Highway 15. The turbine was built on a 98-meter tower, with a blade diameter of 92 meters, for a total height of 144 meters. The generation capacity of this turbine is 2.35 megawatts, which is enough renewable power for as many as 700 local homes. All clean electricity generated at the Cap-Pelé Wind Project is sold back to NB Power to serve local homes and businesses in the area.

Oinpegitjoig - 3.8 MW

The Oinpegitjoig Wind Project is a single turbine wind energy project in Richibucto that was commissioned in January 2020. The 3.8-megawatt project was developed by the Pabineau First Nation and Natural Forces and is part of NB Power's Embedded Generation Program which connects renewable energy sources on the local distribution network. The energy produced by this facility serves the local homes and businesses in the area.

Wisokolamson - 18 MW

The Wisokolamson Energy Project, developed by the Woodstock First Nation and SWEB Development, is an 18 megawatt renewable energy project located 12 kilometres West of Riverside-Albert. In 2018, NB Power signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with Wisokolamson Energy LP through the Province of New Brunswick’s Locally Owned Renewable Energy Projects that are Small Scale Program (LORESS). The project began construction in 2018 and was commissioned and began operation in 2019.

Wocawson - 20 MW

In 2018, NB Power signed a Power Purchase Agreement with the Wocawson Energy LP through the Province of New Brunswick’s Locally Owned Renewable Energy Projects that are Small Scale Program (LORESS). The wind farm was developed by the Tobique First Nation in partnership with Natural Forces and is located in King’s County, approximately 20 km northeast of Sussex. The five-turbine wind farm began generating electricity in December 2020, supplying renewable energy to the New Brunswick grid.

Lamèque Wind Farm - 45 MW

Located on Lamèque Island in northeastern NB, this wind farm occupies approximately 3,100 acres. The development of the wind farm was led by the community-based Lamèque Renewable Energy Cooperative and 68 separate landowners, in cooperation with Acciona Energy North America. The wind farm began operations in 2011 and includes thirty 1.5 MW turbines with a total generating capacity of 45 megawatts.

Caribou Wind Farm - 99 MW

The Caribou wind farm is located 70 km west of Bathurst in north-central NB. With a 99 megawatt capacity, the Caribou site extends 25 km from end to end. The wind farm has 33 ‘Vesta-90’ turbines, each rated at 3 MW. Situated east of Mount Carleton, which is the highest peak in the Maritimes, Caribou benefits from exposure to the region’s strong prevailing winds. It began operations in 2009 and is owned by Engie, a European-based renewable energy company.

Kent Hills – 167.3 MW

The Kent Hills wind farm is situated on provincial crown land, 32 km southwest of Moncton. It was the first commercial wind power plant developed in NB and is also the largest operation of its kind in the province. Completed in three phases between 2008 and 2018, there are now a total of 55 turbines operating are at Kent Hills.

The plant has a total capacity of 167.3 megawatts, with a 28.5 km transmission line that connects it to NB Power’s terminal near Salisbury. Kent Hills was developed jointly by Trans-Alta Corporation and Natural Forces.

Grand Manan - 38 MW

The Grand Manan General Electric LM 5000 gas turbine generator was designed to provide backup power to the Fundy Isles during a power interruption with a total capacity of 38 megawatts. The generator is black-start capable, meaning that it can transition from shut down to full operation in a matter of minutes. It has been operation since 1989 and can be operated remotely from the Coleson Cover Generating Station in Saint John. The Grand Manan plant is fuelled by light fuel oil (LFO).

Ste. Rose - 100 MW

The Ste. Rose Generating Station is a peaking or reserve power plant that provides backup power during peak demand winter months. Its single generating unit is fuelled by light fuel oil (LFO) and has a capacity of 100 megawatts. It has been in operation since November 1991.

Millbank - 400 MW

The Millbank Generating Station is a peaking or reserve power plant that provides backup power during peak winter demand months. It is located in Miramichi, NB and has a total generating capacity of 400 megawatts, including four 100 generating units that can be brought on-line independently or in combination, providing optimal operational flexibility. The plant was commissioned in November 1991 and is fuelled by light fuel oil (LFO).

Irving Oil Refinery & TC Energy Cogeneration Power Plant - 90 MW

The Irving Oil Refinery in east Saint John began operating in 1960. It is Canada’s largest refinery and employs a regular workforce of more than 1,400 people.

The plant has the capacity to process more than 300,000 barrels of crude oil on a daily basis, producing low-sulphur gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, propane and asphalt. The refinery is a critical supplier of refined petroleum products for the international northeast region and exports over 80 percent of its output to the United States. Irving Oil also operates the Whitegate refinery in County Cork, Ireland.

Irving Oil’s Saint John refinery has an operational footprint of 780 acres and has been upgraded on several occasions since it was built, including a $1.5 billion expansion in 2000. TC Energy, based in Calgary, operates a 90-megawatt low carbon natural gas-fired cogeneration power plant on the property, which produces power and steam for the refinery.

Irving Oil and TC Energy have established a partnership to explore the production and distribution of low emission hydrogen, coupled with an advanced carbon capture and sequestration network.

Coleson Cove - 972 MW

NB Power’s Coleson Cove station is a thermal power plant located near the western municipal boundary of Saint John, 16 km southwest of the city’s central core.

The plant has a total capacity of 972 megawatts and provides seasonal peaking generation capacity to meet New Brunswick’s demand for electricity during the winter months. The plant fuel source is heavy fuel oil, which is delivered to Coleson Cove through an underground pipeline from the ‘Canaport’ bulk tanker receiving terminal, which is located at Red Head, 4 km southeast of Saint John. The heavy fuel oil is stored in two 1.5-million barrel tanks at Canaport and four 300,000 barrel tanks at Coleson Cove.

Coleson Cove incorporates a series of air emission control systems including three electrostatic precipitators, two flue gas desulphurization units, two wet electrostatic precipitators, low NOx burners, as well as ash collection and reinjection technology. The residual material collected from the plant’s environmental systems is converted into synthetic gypsum and sold by NB Power to J.D. Irving Limited to produce wallboard.

Belledune - 467 MW

NB Power’s Belledune plant is a thermal electricity generation station located on the shore of Chaleur Bay, 40 kilometres northwest of Bathurst. It can produce 467 megawatts of electricity from the combustion of pulverized coal as the primary fuel, with petroleum coke as a blended fuel supplemental.

Belledune was the first thermal power station in Canada designed with a Flue Gas Desulphurization System, or “scrubber.” It also operates with special burners to limit nitrogen oxide emissions, and an electrostatic precipitator, which removes over 99% of the particles in the flue gases.

The station has been operating since 1993. A major upgrade in 2004 added technology to recapture fly ash from the combustion process. This material is then converted into synthetic gypsum and sold by NB Power to J.D. Irving Limited to produce wallboard.

Bayside Power - 285 MW

Bayside Power is a natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Saint John owned by NB Power. The electricity produced at the station during the winter months is used to supply the provincial transmission grid.

The combined cycle technology used at Bayside maximizes the natural gas energy available to the site. The station has a 285 megawatt capacity and is considered the most thermally efficient generating asset in Atlantic Canada.

Bayside Power - 285 MW

Bayside Power is a natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant in Saint John owned by NB Power. The electricity produced at the station during the winter months is used to supply the provincial transmission grid.

The combined cycle technology used at Bayside maximizes the natural gas energy available to the site. The station has a 285 megawatt capacity and is considered the most thermally efficient generating asset in Atlantic Canada.

Coleson Cove - 972 MW

NB Power’s Coleson Cove station is a thermal power plant located near the western municipal boundary of Saint John, 16 km southwest of the city’s central core.

The plant has a total capacity of 972 megawatts and provides seasonal peaking generation capacity to meet New Brunswick’s demand for electricity during the winter months. The plant fuel source is heavy fuel oil, which is delivered to Coleson Cove through an underground pipeline from the ‘Canaport’ bulk tanker receiving terminal, which is located at Red Head, 4 km southeast of Saint John. The heavy fuel oil is stored in two 1.5-million barrel tanks at Canaport and four 300,000 barrel tanks at Coleson Cove.

Coleson Cove incorporates a series of air emission control systems including three electrostatic precipitators, two flue gas desulphurization units, two wet electrostatic precipitators, low NOx burners, as well as ash collection and reinjection technology. The residual material collected from the plant’s environmental systems is converted into synthetic gypsum and sold by NB Power to J.D. Irving Limited to produce wallboard.

Headwater Exploration

The McCully gas field, owned and operated by Headwater Exploration Inc. (formerly Corridor Resources Inc.), is located approximately 10 km northeast of Sussex. A total of 39 natural gas wells have been drilled to date, with the field’s first discovery well drilled in September 2000 through a working partnership with Saskatchewan-based Nutrien (formerly Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan). Headwater operates a natural gas production facility and owns a 49 km transmission line connecting the McCully field to the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. The company has been delivering natural gas to Canadian and US markets since June 2007. Headwater continues to take advantage of premium winter natural gas pricing within the international northeast region through a seasonal production strategy.

The McCully gas field has an estimated 31 billion cubic feet of remaining natural gas reserves based on the performance of its 32 active production wells. The underlying Frederick Brook shale gas exploration area covers approximately 120,000 acres of land and has been estimated to contain approximately 53 trillion cubic feet of total petroleum initially in place. By comparison, the actual volume of natural gas produced from offshore Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2018 was 2.1 trillion cubic feet. The contingent resource potential within the Frederick Brook shale gas exploration area is subject to a government moratorium on new oil and gas exploration and development (requiring hydraulic fracturing) in New Brunswick.

Emera Brunswick Pipeline 0.85 Bcf/day

The Brunswick Pipeline delivers natural gas from the Canaport Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving and re-gasification terminal near Saint John, New Brunswick to markets in Canada and the US Northeast. The pipeline has a 30-inch (76.2 centimetres) diameter with a design throughput capacity of approximately 0.85 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

The 145-kilometer pipeline extends through southwest New Brunswick to an interconnection with the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline at the Canada/US border near St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

Emera New Brunswick, the owner of the Brunswick Pipeline, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, NS. The Brunswick Pipeline began operation on July 16, 2009 with a 25-year firm service agreement with Repsol Energy Canada Ltd.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline: 0.55 Bcf/day (Canadian portion), 0.83 Bcf/day (US portion)

The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) is a 1,101 kilometre pipeline that was originally built to transport natural gas from offshore production facilities in Nova Scotia to markets in Canada and New England. The pipeline now primarily imports natural gas from origins in Western Canada and the United States. It has an operating capacity of 0.83 billion cubic feet per day in the United States, which reduces to 0.55 billion cubic feet per day in Canada.

The M&NP system consists of a main pipeline connecting Goldboro, Nova Scotia through New Brunswick to the Canadian - U.S. border near Baileyville, Maine. Beginning in 1999, M&NP established a series of market delivery points in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Within New Brunswick, these locations include Sackville, Baie Verte, Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John, Saint George and St. Stephen.

The pipeline also transports onshore natural gas produced from Headwater Exploration’s McCully production field near Sussex, as well as imported LNG from the Canaport Terminal in Saint John, to markets throughout the international northeast region. The M&NP links with the North American natural gas transmission system through interconnections in the States of Massachusetts and Maine.

Saint John Energy Innovation Cluster

Saint John Energy has been a provider of energy to the people of Saint John since 1922. Today, Saint John Energy provides reliable services and competitive rates to over 36,000 local customers through 13 substations spanning 316 square kilometers. Saint John Energy also provides street lighting, area lighting, more than 20,000 water heater rentals and over 5,000 Mini Split Ductless Heat Pump rentals.

The utility has received national and international recognition for its focus on environmental, social and economic sustainability, including energy innovation, new product development, energy efficiency, smart grid and energy storage applications and the deployment of new renewable and distributed generation sources. Saint John Energy is partnering with Nova Scotia-based Natural Forces in the development of a 10 turbine 45-megawatt wind farm to be located in the Spruce Lake Industrial Park.

Fredericton Smart Grid Cluster

Fredericton is home to a growing global centre of excellence focusing on smart grid and cybersecurity research and development, which is supported by NB Power, Siemens and the University of New Brunswick. The Centre of Excellence and all three partners are focused on building a smarter, cleaner, more resilient, and efficient power grid.

Biomass Power Purchase Agreements

NB Power currently purchases surplus power through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) from four industrial biomass plants in New Brunswick:

• Twin Rivers Paper, Edmundston (39 MW PPA)
• Irving Pulp & Paper, Saint John (33 MW PPA)
• AV Nackawic, Nackawic (26 MW PPA)
• AV Cell Inc., Atholville (21 MW PPA)

These biomass plants are cogeneration facilities where heat and electricity are produced and then reused during the manufacturing process. Surplus renewable energy purchases from these facilities contribute to the sustainability of the province’s forestry sector. New Brunswick sees great potential in increasing the use of locally produced wood-based biomass and wood pellets as a way to increase its energy independence, support local industries, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Saint John LNG : 1.2 Bcf/day

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, originally named Canaport LNG, now operates under the name 'Saint John LNG Limited Partnership' following the full acquisition by the Repsol partners of the Irving partners interests in November 2021.

This state-of-the-art receiving and regasification terminal is the first LNG terminal of its kind in Canada. The LNG arrives by ship to the terminal in specially designed LNG tankers and is offloaded by being pumped through pipes into LNG storage tanks at the Saint John LNG terminal. The product is then restored from the liquid form to its original gaseous state in a highly controlled process called regasification. The natural gas is then distributed via the Brunswick and Maritimes & Northeast Pipelines to serve both Canadian and U.S. market needs. The Saint John LNG terminal currently has a maximum send-out capacity of 1.2 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day, which is enough to heat 5 million homes and up to 20% of the northeast U.S. market.