February 18, 2021 – The first unit at the Keeyask Generating Station went into commercial service Tuesday, reports Manitoba Hydro.

“Nearly 98% of our electricity is already generated using clean, renewable and virtually carbon-free hydropower,” said Jay Grewal, president & CEO of the utility, “[that is] a huge advantage for our province as North America moves to reduce carbon emissions.”

Construction of the 695-MW station on the Nelson River in northern Manitoba began in 2014. The first unit is entering service six months ahead of schedule, and the project is tracking to meet its control budget of $8.7 billion, says Manitoba Hydro.

When complete, Keeyask will have seven units in-service producing an average of 4400 GWh of electricity annually, making it the fourth largest generating station in the province. The energy produced by Keeyask will be used both at home and to meet “the utility’s current export commitments”.

The Keeyask Generating Station is a collaborative effort between Manitoba Hydro and four partner First Nations (Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, York Factory First Nation and Fox Lake Cree Nation), known collectively as the Keeyask Hydropower Limited Partnership.

Roughly 600 people are working at the site to bring the other six units into service. Each unit will be brought online, one-by-one, over the next year.