Massive piece of equipment passes through Timmins, part of $80M hydro upgrade

Massive transformer rolls into Timmins A large object was hauled through Timmins on Thursday morning, a new transformer making its way to the Porcupine Transmission Station.

A large object was hauled through Timmins on Thursday morning, a new transformer making its way to the Porcupine Transmission Station.

It’s part of an $80-million Hydro One upgrade that officials say will help fuel growing demand for electricity in the region.

It may have looked like a robot in disguise, but the transformer will help roll out more power from southern to northern Ontario.

The more than 200-tonne piece of hardware is the second to make its way to the city from Quebec, to help the area deliver more robust and reliable electricity to a growing regional economy.

“Hydro One will continue to re-invest in communities like Timmins, to ensure economic growth,” said Hydro spokesperson Ryan Docherty.

“It’s a huge statement in the belief of the future of northern Ontario, but especially Timmins,” added Timmins MPP George Pirie.

The city’s transmission station was built sometime in the 1960s. Hydro One officials said it has been overdue for upgrades, especially now, as the area sees growth in both industry and population.

Current, future electricity needs

The $80-million investment will bring the station up to speed, not only with current demand but also those projected for the decades ahead.

Pirie points particularly to a booming mining industry that will need more power to produce critical minerals and support the families he anticipates will move here as the city grows.

“Think about the amount of energy that's going to have to be produced and consumed, as we transform, as we get off of fossil fuels and we move into the EV economy, which is really what Ontario is all about," he said.

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"All the battery plants, the automobile plants that are being built in southern Ontario. They need energy and we need the minerals, so we can fill the supply gap with locally produced minerals.”

“The transmission system is the backbone of the economy in Ontario," Docherty added.

"Hydro One is committed to reinforcing investments into that system so that communities like Timmins and the surrounding area can have that reliable source of power for (the) future.”

The province projects it will need to double its power grid by 2050 to support the demand ahead.

In Timmins, one more transformer is to be delivered next year, about the length of time it will take to bring the one delivered Thursday online.