Lower Churchill Project

The Lower Churchill Project is an essential component for energy sustainability and climate change management.

Churchill River is one of the most attractive hydroelectric resources in North America and is a key component in the energy resource of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). The Lower Churchill Project is developed across the project’s two sites, located in Muskrat Falls and Gull Island. The project’s two sites will provide a final combined capacity of over 3,000 MW, representing an essential component of Nalcor’s commitment to sustainability and climate change management.

From a technical point of view, the project is an exciting challenge, requiring managing the execution of huge concrete pours under extreme weather conditions (+35°C during summer and -40°C in winter season).

SYSTRA Italy was involved in the first phase of the project, which includes the construction of an impressive 824 MW hydroelectric generating facility in Muskrat Falls, over 1,600 km of transmission lines across the province, and the Maritime Link between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The construction and operation of the Muskrat Falls generating station will mean reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the province’s electricity system, diversification of the local economy, and a link to North America’s electricity grid to allow for the export of excess power.