Woodville
Power Reserve

Williams Treaty First Nations (WTFN), leading to partnership discussions with Hiawatha First Nation and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN). At their direction, Neoen is working with Zhaabaskatoon and Minogi Corporation to establish a partnership and submit the Woodville Power Reserve project as an Indigenous project owned jointly by Hiawatha, MSIFN, other participating WTFN, and Neoen.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) forecasts a 75% increase in Ontario’s energy demand by 2050, which means an additional 111-terawatt hours (TWh) of energy is needed by 2050 to meet projected demand (1 TWh = 1 million-megawatt hour (MWh)).

111 TWh = 111 million MWh

To maintain grid reliability across Ontario, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) launched the Long-Term 1 (LT1) procurement to secure new capacity. Tara Battery is part of this initiative— one of ten energy storage projects awarded under LT1, collectively adding 1,784 MW of storage capacity. With 400 MW / 1,600 MWh of flexible, fast-response energy, Tara Battery will help stabilise Ontario’s grid, support renewable energy integration, and ensure reliable power for decades to come.

In December 2024, the IESO announced the launch of its second series of Long-Term Request for Proposal (LT2 RFP) energy procurement process to identify eligible proponents to develop, own, and operate solar photovoltaic (PV) generation facilities and energy storage projects. The LT2 RFP seeks to secure up to 14 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy and 1,600 megawatts (MW) of capacity. As part of the IESO’s broader Resource Adequacy Framework, this initiative aims to ensure a reliable electricity supply that supports Ontario’s power grid planning through the 2030s and beyond. Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) or other wholesale buyers will purchase the power generated from these facilities through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

A “multi-pronged” competitive procurement process is being led by the IESO, marked by early community engagement that incorporates feedback from prospective market participants, resource developers, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. The process also involves environmental permitting and requires a Municipal Support Resolution (MSR) from willing municipalities to host the projects. Successful proponents are expected to sign a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with the IESO. Independent Power Producers (IPPs) will be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and approvals for the development, construction, and operation of the facility.

70 MW / 560 MWh, meaning the battery will be able to store 560 MWh of energy for 8 hours. A typical daily cycle of operations is to charge at night when there is an excess of power and discharge during the evening, at peak demand, when the energy is most needed. This is enough energy to power more than 135,000 homes in Ontario for 8 hours.

• Battery capacity: 70 MW / 560 MWh
• Ontario household average: ~4.16 kWh per household for 8 hours
• Equivalent supply: ~135,000 households for 8 hours

To meet Ontario’s growing electricity demand with zero emissions and flexible facility. Batteries also help to stabilise the electrical grid by responding to grid events (over supply or under supply) in milliseconds. The IESO has procured more than 2,500 MW of batteries.

The proposed site satisfies the conditions necessary to host a battery facility, including landowner willingness, minimal environmental constraints, relatively flat terrain, proximity to transmission that can accommodate the facility, proximity to demand, construction feasibility, and site accessibility.

The proposed site is the best option to minimise impacts on the environment and the neighbours because it does not require any tree removal or sit on any water crossing.

• Need landowner willingness to lease the land for the project
• Be as close as possible to the transmission line to avoid building new transmission lines and minimize impact

• Avoid natural heritage features: watercourses, wetlands, trees  

• Avoid Conservation Authorities’ regulated areas and Environment Protected zoning  

• Be 300 m away from existing buildings and homes for noise setbacks  

• Be at least 10 km away from Bruce Power and Owen Sound due to electrical short-circuit issues

We are developing the project in partnership with the Williams Treaties Nations, which includes the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, Alderville First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and the Chippewa Nations of Georgina Island, Beausoleil, and Rama— longstanding stewards of this land and its surrounding environment.

At Neoen, we work hard to minimise environmental impacts, starting with site selection. The proposed site is currently farmland, and the project footprint avoids direct impacts on watercourses, wetlands, and trees.

We are completing all required federal, provincial, and municipal permits. As part of this process, Neoen will fund and carry out all necessary studies to analyze, avoid, and mitigate potential impacts. These include, but are not limited to, Environmental Assessments, Endangered Species Assessments, Noise Assessments, Archaeological Clearances, Hydrogeological Surveys, Site Plans, and any additional studies requested by our Partner Nations or regulatory authorities.

Before any construction, we conduct all the proper studies and put in place stringent safeguards above industry standards to mitigate any risk of contamination. Due to industry safeguards across North America, there has never been an impact on groundwater from a battery installation.

Only with new studies, permits, and consultation with our Partner Nations. There are no plans to expand the site, and there is no automatic expansion.

Adhering to all municipal, provincial, and federal permitting, we are working with the City of Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service, industry experts, and local communities in the development of the proposed Project. This includes fire safety management, community safeguards, and state-of-the-art equipment designed to reduce risk. The Project will adhere to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 855, UL9540, UL9540A safety standards protocols that ensure project safety.

Safety is a top priority at Neoen. Our safety culture is exemplified by more than 15 years of development experience and operator of utility scale battery projects.

Neoen has designed Woodville Power Reserve with passive and active protection features to mitigate the environmental and operational risks.

A Comprehensive Safety Plan (CSP), which outlines how Woodville Power Reserve and the Neoen team will prevent, mitigate, and respond to hazard events, will submitted as part of Neoen’s planning applications, and Neoen will continue to develop the CSP in coordination with- and to the satisfaction of the County and Municipality.

Core elements of our fire safety approach:

• Prevent (careful technology selection, safety certification, installation codes, testing for performance)
• Monitor (24/7 staffed monitoring facility and maintenance program)
• Respond (work with local response teams through training and coordination)

As part of its Emergency Response Plan, Neoen will train our Partner Nations’ firefighters as well as City of Kawartha Lakes’ fire department. Neoen will organise demonstrations with the help of the battery manufacturer and specialised agencies such as ESRG (Energy Safety Response Group).

No. Unlike other technologies, batteries generate zero waste and zero emissions during their operations.

No. Neoen proposes to plant more trees around the facility as part of a landscaping plan for visual mitigation.

2 acres maximum. To compare with other technologies, a 400 MW solar farm would need 1,000 times more land (2,000 acres), and a 400 MW wind farm would span over 10,000 times more land (20,000 acres). 20 acres represent approximately 15 football fields.

Key equipment includes 128 battery packs, 1 high-voltage transformer, an O&M building.

No. We cannot build a new High Voltage (HV) line. That would be outside the scope of the contract that was awarded and would result in more impact and disruption to the environment.

20-25 years. The contract with the IESO is 20 years. The battery could be used for an extra 5 years after the contract ends. After 20-25 years of operations, the project can typically operate at 75-80% of its initial capacity.

All energy technologies come with risk of hazard. For battery facilities, safety risks include thermal runaway and spill events. Thermal runaway is an exothermic reaction whereby damaged battery cells heat abnormally resulting in possible smoke, fire, or combustion. Thermal runaway can occur from an internal short circuit, external short circuit, external fire, and battery degradation.

Spill events, including refrigerant, coolant, and oil spills, can result from equipment malfunctions or blunt force to battery components, such as transformers.

Hazard events are rare and prevented by rigorous design and safety features, including active and passive forms of protection, stringent safety protocols, and 24/7 monitoring. If a hazard occurs, Neoen’s battery facilities are designed to mitigate propagation, contamination, and injury.

Neoen works with local first responders to prepare integrated emergency prevention and response plans for its facilities, to provide facility training, and to ensure response capacity in the event of an emergency.

The typical response to a battery fire is to let the compromised container burn. In some cases, cooling of surrounding areas with water may take place. Neoen’s battery facilities are designed with separation between battery containers to prevent propagation. Passive protection, like the use of fire-resistant materials, spill trays, and non-combustible oils will be used to minimize severity of a potential hazard event. Water is never used directly on a battery fire.

In some cases, a battery fires may result in gas emissions, and evacuation may be required. An air dispersion model (ADM) has been completed for Tara BESS that will determine impact to air in the event of fire.

A fire would trigger Neoen’s emergency response protocol.

Neoen will fully decommission the facility and reclaim the land back to its pre-development status. The battery packs and electrical installations will be removed. The foundation will be removed as well. A precise decommissioning plan will be developed with the input of our Partner Nations. Neoen will provide a decommissioning security to the City of Kawartha Lakes to make sure that funds are set apart to finance the decommissioning of the project.