About The Wuskwatim
Generating Station

Wuskwatim is a 200-megawatt, run-of-river hydroelectric generating station on the Burntwood River at Taskinigup Falls. It is located in the Nelson House Resource Management Area about 45 kilometres southwest of Thompson and 35 kilometres southeast of Nelson House. (Enlarge Map).

Primary Wuskwatim components include the generating station and dam, a transmission line to the provincial power grid and an access road. Construction of the generating station was completed in late 2012 at a cost of $1.3 billion. The transmission line was a separate Manitoba Hydro project constructed at a cost of $300 million.

The generating station is the result of nearly a decade of planning and studies, negotiations between Manitoba Hydro and Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and an intensive environmental assessment which incorporated NCN traditional knowledge to minimize project impacts. The dam was designed to cause less than one-half of one square kilometre of flooding, the least amount of flooding of any Manitoba Hydro project in the province.

Power produced by the dam is designated for export until Manitoba needs the energy for domestic use.

Benefits

Clean, Renewable Energy

The Wuskwatim Generating Station produces clean, renewable energy that earns revenues from the export market and assists in supplying domestic load in Manitoba.

Jobs

The Wuskwatim Generating Station was one of the province's largest construction projects and provided hundreds of jobs over six years. Qualified workers from Aboriginal communities close to the site and people from Northern Manitoba communities were given first consideration for employment during construction and during operation of the station.

Training

Targeted training opportunities were in place beginning in 2003 to ensure NCN Citizens and other Aboriginal people had the skills they needed to take advantage of project opportunities.

Contracts
Manitoba Hydro provided management and construction services to Wuskwatim Power Limited Partnership (WPLP) that jointly owns the generating station. It provided Manitoba businesses with opportunities to bid on contracts consistent with its commitment to work with suppliers through the Buy Manitoba and Northern Purchasing programs.