TOANELEC - ELECTRIC DISTRICT HEATING SYSTEM AND SUBSTATION CONSOLIDATION PROJECT

The Town of Antigonish is racing to be the first net-zero emissions community in Canada powered by 100% renewable energy. To achieve this objective, the Town is focusing on large scale electrification initiatives.

Critical to Town electrification and emission reduction in the heating and transportation sectors is the proposed consolidation of six (6) municipal substations to single substation connecting the Town to the provincial 138kV transmission system. The Town’s electrical grid is currently configured with six (6) separate interconnections with Nova Scotia Power Incorporated’s (NSPI) 25kV distribution ring around the Town. Consolidating the existing interconnection points to a single substation off the 138kV transmission system will improve the reliability of the Town electrical grid and allow for significant electrical load growth, particularly in the heating and transportation sectors.

Enabled by the substation consolidation, the Town, in partnership with St. Francis Xavier University (StFX), is proposing to build approximately a 12MW electric district heating system with approximately 29MWh of thermal energy storage. With StFX as the anchor client, this project will enable other commercial and institutional customers in the Town to buy heating services from the project.