Between the Poles: Largest Infrastructure Projects in Canada

Geoff Zeiss

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Open Source Geospatial Foundation OSGEO
OSGeo was created to support the collaborative development of open source geospatial software and promote its widespread use
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The U.S. devotes an estimated $10 billion annually to locating underground infrastructure. Every construction project requiring excavation involves significant efforts in locating underground utilities prior to and during construction to reduce the risk of injuries and unexpected project delays. But this information is rarely shared and the location of underground infrastructure is recaptured over and over again. There are successful examples around the world where municipal and regional governments have helped enable a shared underground utility network database.
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I thought it would be worth while to include here a talk I gave at GEOGRAPHY 2050 Powering Our Future Planet at Columbia University in New York about the importance of accurate location information about underground infrastructure for the future development of the energy grid. With some notable exceptions accurately recording the location of subsurface infrastructure including oil, gas, electric power and other energy infrastructure is ignored - perhaps this is a case of out-of-sight is indeed out-of-mind. The reality is that knowing the location of underground energy infrastructure is critical for national security, for disaster planning and management, for public safety and for economic efficiency. Everyone is aware of at least one disaster resulting from or exacerbated by not knowing where our energy infrastructure is - the explosions in San Bruno in California (2010) and Belgium (2004) immediately come to mind.
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BIM + geospatial interoperability would avoid another CAD + GIS quagmire
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Transmission line inspections for vegetation management and other purposes are essential in ensuring grid reliability and resilience. We saw the devastating effect of vegetation encroachment in the recent California fires, which in part have been blamed on failure to maintain properly cleared transmission lines. With drones that can cover great distances in a single flight and provide detailed and accurate aerial imagery of transmission lines and other infrastructure, it is now possible to almost completely automate this expensive process. Automating transmission line inspections for vegetation management using BVLOS drones not only saves money, but also could improve the resiliency and reliability of the transmission grid.

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January 21, 2010

Largest Infrastructure Projects in Canada

Every year ReNew Canada publishes the largest infrastructure projects in Canada. To be included a project must either be in construction or at least have financing completed. Also oil and gas and commercial/residential projects are excluded.

This year the total investment in the 100 top projects is $68 billion, beside which the government's infrastructure stimulus of $4 billion looks tiny. Interestingly none of the top 100 projects involve funding from the federal stimulus program, primarily because the stimulus program is oriented toward small projects. Of the top 100 projects most are health care projects.

I think I also saw that 15 of the top 100 projects are aiming at some level of LEED certification. For example, the $1.5 billion expansion to the Edmonton airport will be LEED certified.

Six of the top 10 projects are energy projects, and five of those are renewable energy. For the Californians out there hydroelectic projects are considered clean and renewable in Canada.

1 Romaine Complex A - $6 billion 1.5 GW hydroelectic project in Quebec to generate 8 TWh annually
2 Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert = $5 bllion 918 MW hydroelectric project in Quebec to generate 8.5 TWh annually
5 NaiKun Wind Energy - $2 billion 396 MW offshore wind generation project in Hecate Strait near Haida Gwaii and Prince Rupert, British Columbia
6 Wuskatim Generation - $1.6 billion 200 MW hydroelectric project in Manitoba
9 Niagara Tunnel - $1.6 billion 10.2 km tunnel with a 12.7 m diameter to supply additonal water to the Ontario Power Generation plant on the Niagara River
8 Keephlls 3 Generating Plant - $1.6 billion 450 MW coal-fired generating plant in Alberta with reduced CO₂ emissions

The remaining top 10 projects are transportation projects

3 Spadina Subway Extension - $2.6 billion transit project in Toronto
4 Port Mann/Highway 1 (PMH1) - $2.5 billion highway project in British Columbia which won an Autodesk BIM Experience design award last year
7 Windsor-Essex Parkway Underway - $1.6 billion highway project to connect Highway 401 in Ontario to the US Interstate Highway system
10 Turcot Interchange - $1.5 billion highway reconstruction (aging infrastructure replacement) project in Quebec

Posted at 06:37 AM in Economic Data, General Infrastructure, Road Infrastructure, Sustainability, Utility Solutions | Permalink

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Between the Poles

Geoff Zeiss

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January 21, 2010

Largest Infrastructure Projects in Canada

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