New Napanee generating plant brings local jobs

The new Napanee generating station under construction adjacent to the smokestacks of the existing Lennox Generating Station. Photo by Dylan O’Hagan

By Dylan O’Hagan

NAPANEE – A new electricity-generating plant under construction in Napanee is having a big effect on the local economy.

The Napanee Generating Station will be a natural-gas-fuelled electricity generator and is projected to cost $1.2 billion. Ontario Power Generation awarded the contract to TransCanada Energy to develop, own and operate the generating station. Once built, the facility will be able to produce 900 megawatts of energy.

The generating station is being built on the existing Lennox Generating Station site in the southern part of Napanee. In this location, the new gas plant will be able to share several services with the older station, which is powered by oil and natural gas.  Electrical and  gas connections, water intake and discharge facilities and other infrastructure services will be shared between the two stations.

Greater Napanee‘s mayor, Gordon Schermerhorn, says the construction means a lot of new jobs for the local area.

Right now there are about 300 people working at the construction site, Schermerhorn said, adding: “I understand it could go up to 500 once they get into the structural part of it. So that’s certainly good for our area – not only our municipality, (but) Belleville, Kingston, wherever it may be.”

Construction is expected to take three years to complete. Once the plant is up and running, it is expected there will be about 20 permanent jobs for plant operators.

Brad Way, the former chair of Napanee’s Business Improvement Area, says that during his time as chair, he saw TransCanada try its best to hire locally.

“The people involved in the project have put an effort in hiring local contractors as much as possible. So that’s great – it certainly will have a big impact locally for the years it’s under development, Way said, adding, in reference to the permanent jobs that will come after construction ends, “there of course would be some economical benefit to employ another 20 decent-paying jobs in the area.”

TransCanada conducted an economic impact study for the town of Greater Napanee in 2013. The study found that revenue coming into the area through housing expenditures by the construction workers would contribute $3.6 to 3.9 million to the local economy, while their everyday expenses would contribute $8.4 million annually.

To help blend the plant in with its surroundings, TransCanada created a local committee in 2013.  The committee was made up of community members, neighbours of the plant and a member of Napanee council. Schermerhorn said the committee helped convince TransCanada to install 2,000 trees and 10,000 shrubs.

“They started a community liaison committee … to try to make it so trees were planted in the right location and things like that … and they tried to engage the community wherever they could,” he said.

However, not everyone is happy about this new gas plant. Roger Morrow, who lives right beside the construction site, says the plant means more traffic than ever. A new traffic light was  installed to help with the higher traffic demands, he noted.

The construction is off Highway 33 just east of County Road 21. Traffic delays are expected until mid-December as large equipment is transported with police escorts. Delays are expected by the nearby Lafarge cement plant and the generating station in both directions between 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m..

Take a listen to the interview with Schermerhorn: