Hydro-Quebec awards four wind projects to the "St-Laurent Energies" consortium

MONTREAL, May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The St-Laurent Energies consortium, consisting of EDF Energies Nouvelles, HYDROMEGA Services Inc., and RES Canada, is delighted to announce that it has been awarded five wind projects by Hydro-Quebec Distribution, representing a total capacity of 954 Megawatts (MW).

St-Laurent Energies submitted its bids in association with REpower Systems AG, a world-renown manufacturer of wind turbines, utilizing its 2 MW model.

These five projects represent a total investment in excess of $2 billion and will significantly contribute to the Quebec economy, most notably in the regions of Gaspesie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine and the regional county (MRC) of Matane.

- At least 60% of the total investment, or more than $1.2 billion will be
spent in Quebec, including:
- The manufacture of blades, towers and power converters in the regions
of Gaspesie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine and the regional county (MRC) of
Matane, representing a total spend of over $500 million in these areas.

The wind projects will be placed into service between December 2011 and December 2015 and are situated in the following regional counties (MRC):

- Minganie (Aguanish wind farm- 80 MW),
- Les Etchemins et Bellechasse (Massif-du-Sud wind farm - 150 MW),
- La Matapedia et La Mitis (Lac-Alfred wind farm - 300 MW),
- Charlevoix et Le Fjord-du-Saguenay (Riviere-du-Moulin wind farm - 350 MW)
- Charlevoix-Est (Clermont wind farm - 74 MW)

The annual production of these five projects will exceed 3 billion kWh of emission-free electricity. This is the equivalent of the annual average electricity requirements of some 220,000 Quebec households, or the population of the region of Quebec City.

St-Laurent Energies will be finalizing power purchase agreements with Hydro-Quebec Distribution in the coming months, each of which must be approved by the Quebec Energy Board.

Prior to commencing construction, the consortium must obtain all required governmental permits, approvals and environmental authorizations as well as the appropriate municipal construction permits.

Hydromega Services inc. (Hydromega) is an Quebec-based independent power producer in business for over 20 years. With its seven completed hydroelectric facilities in Quebec, totalling 87MW, and five projects in development outside of the province, Hydromega has become a leader within Quebec's renewable energy industry. (www.hydromega.com)

Created in 1990, EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) is a major international player in the production of renewable energy, with some 1443 MW of capacity in operation at the end of 2007, and some further 1100 MW in construction. EDF EN is present in nine European countries and the United States, and also present in four different renewable energy markets (wind energy, solar, biomass and hydro-electricity). The company's wind activities represent today over 80% of its installed renewable capacity. EDF is a 50% owned subsidiary of the EDF group (www.edf-en.com).

Renewable Energy Systems Canada inc. (RES Canada) is a Canadian company established in Quebec since 2003 and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sir Robert McAlpine construction group. Since its creation in 1981, the RES Group has participated in the development and construction of over 3600MW of wind power around the world. (www.res-ltd.com)

REpower Sytems AG (REpower) is one of the leading manufacturers of onshore and offshore wind turbines. The international engineering company develops, produces and sells wind turbines with outputs ranging from 2 to 5 megawatts and rotor diameters of 82 to 126 metres for almost all locations. The Hamburg based company relies on its experience in the production and installation of more than 1,500 wind turbines worldwide.

Source: St-Laurent Energies

CONTACT: Mr. Jacky Cerceau, St-Laurent Energies, (514) 392-9266

2008-05-05 18:21:36 0353147 PRNEWSWIRE