MONTREAL - Boralex Inc. and Gaz Metro Limited Partnership announced yesterday that the Quebec minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife, Nathalie Normandeau, has granted approval for their two wind power projects totalling an installed capacity of 272 MW.

"The announcement of this decree, the first to be awarded to a project under the latest Hydro-Quebec call for tenders, is excellent news for the Consortium and clearly proves the environmental merit and social acceptability of the Seigneurie de Beaupre wind farms. We are enthusiastic about contributing to the expansion of wind power in Quebec," said Patrick Lemaire, president and chief executive officer of Boralex and Sophie Brochu, president and chief executive officer of Gaz Metro.

Having successfully completed the key step of obtaining environmental approvals, the Consortium can now move ahead with applying for construction permits and financing from financial institutions.

The scheduled startup date for the Seigneurie de Beaupre wind farms is December 2013. The Consortium's wind farms are being built on land owned by the Seminary of Quebec, which is perfectly suited to wind power projects, according to the partners. In addition to the excellent wind conditions, the site is removed from urban and residential areas. The wind farms will be built 60 km northeast of Quebec City and 15 km north of Saint-Tite-des-Caps, which means there will be almost no visual or sound impacts for neighbouring communities.

For more information visit www.seigneuriedebeaupre.com.

< Prev		Next >