Infrastructure and construction company Aecon Group has executed an agreement with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for the 150MW/1,200MWh Simcoe energy storage project in Norfolk County, Ontario.
Announced 28 July, Aecon executed an energy storage facility agreement with IESO to build, own, and operate the Simcoe battery energy storage system (BESS) project, in which Aecon Concessions is an equity partner.
Aecon Concessions, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC), the Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation (MCBC), Sitka Power, and NRStor will be ownership partners, and will provide electricity storage services to the IESO through a 20-year agreement, receiving capacity payments from the IESO for capacity services, as well as additional revenue from energy sold into the Ontario electricity grid and ancillary services.
Aecon will also serve as the exclusive engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider for the balance of plant works. The target to begin commercial operations is 2030.
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The company also stated that the Simcoe BESS project complements Aecon Concessions’ ownership interest in the Oneida Energy Storage Project in Ontario, which has been operating since May 2025 and was developed and delivered by Aecon, SNGRDC, MCBC, NRStor, and Northland Power, alongside construction partner Aecon-Six Nations (A6N) general partnership – a purpose-built team with Indigenous partnership at the forefront.
The 250MW/1,000MWh Oneida BESS project more than doubled Ontario’s energy storage capacity at the time, taking the province’s capacity from 225MW to 475MW.
In June, IESO announced the results of its Second Long-Term Request for Proposals (LT2), securing 640MW of capacity through three projects.
French IPP Neoen was awarded a 20-year capacity services contract for its 200MW/1,600MWh BESS in Ontario, as part of the LT2.
LT2 follows the IESO’s Long-Term 1 (LT1) competitive tender, which awarded over 850MW of BESS contracts across two tranches in May and June 2023, representing Canada’s largest battery storage procurement at the time.
In May, the IESO launched its Long Lead-Time request for proposal (LLT RFP) to procure up to 800MW of long-duration energy storage (LDES).
In March SNGRDC commissioned the 300MW.1,200MWh Hagersville BESS project in Haldimand County, Ontario with IPP Boralex.
During that project, Boralex and SNGRDC focused on engaging local Six Nations labourers. The companies partnered with construction partner Borea, bringing in A6N General Partnerships with Aecon, to handle civil work on site.
