Ontario Construction News staff writer
Aecon Group Inc. says a partnership involving its concessions business has reached an agreement with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to develop a major battery energy storage facility in Norfolk County.
Simcoe Battery Project General Partnership Inc., in which Aecon Concessions is an equity partner, has executed an Energy Storage Facility Agreement with the IESO for the 150-megawatt/1,200-megawatt-hour Simcoe Battery Energy Storage System Project.
The facility will be designed to store electricity and supply it to Ontario’s electricity grid when needed, helping improve grid reliability and support the integration of renewable generation.
Aecon Concessions, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC), Mississaugas of the Credit Business Corporation (MCBC), Sitka Power Inc. and NRStor will serve as ownership partners. The group will provide electricity storage services to the IESO under a 20-year agreement.
Under the agreement, the partnership will receive capacity payments from the IESO for providing electricity capacity, while also generating revenue through energy sold into Ontario’s electricity market and ancillary services.
Aecon will also be the exclusive Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) provider for the project’s balance-of-plant works. An EPC agreement with Aecon is expected to be finalized.
Commercial operations are targeted to begin in 2030.
“The Simcoe Battery Project will strengthen grid reliability and support the integration of renewable generation – helping to provide the resilient energy foundation and critical storage capacity required to support economic growth and meet Ontario’s growing electricity demand,” said Steve Nackan, executive vice-president and president of Aecon Concessions.
Nackan said the project reflects Aecon’s broader strategy of pursuing opportunities tied to power infrastructure, energy storage, grid expansion and resilience across North America.
The Simcoe Battery Project will also build on Aecon Concessions’ ownership interest in the Oneida Energy Storage Project, which has been operating in Ontario since May 2025.
Oneida was developed and delivered by Aecon, SNGRDC, MCBC, NRStor and Northland Power, with construction carried out alongside Aecon-Six Nations (A6N), a purpose-built general partnership that places Indigenous participation at the forefront of the project.
Aecon’s completed and planned power projects represent approximately one gigawatt of electricity storage and generation capacity in the province. Previous Ontario projects include the completed York Battery Energy Storage System and Goreway BESS facilities, along with the ongoing South March BESS and Trail Road BESS projects.
The project comes as Ontario continues to expand electricity infrastructure and energy storage capacity to accommodate rising electricity demand and support a more flexible and resilient power grid.