Overview Announcements Project Schedule Fact Sheet [.pdf]

Corporate Responsibility Contacts What is cogeneration?

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overview

Bécancour at a Glance The Bécancour Power Plant began operations in September 2006. The project kicked off in June 2003. Total investment: approximately $500 million. Total economic impact of construction: estimated at more than $200 million for the province of Quebec. Number of workers during construction: more than 900 during the peak of the construction period. Priority given to workers in the local area. Number of workers required for operations: approximately 20 – 25.

TransCanada Energy Ltd., has built a 550 megawatt (MW) cogeneration plant in the Bécancour Industrial Park, located within the city limits of Bécancour and near Trois-Rivières, Québec. Under long-term contracts, the facility will supply electricity to Hydro-Québec Distribution to help meet growing electricity demands and provide an important source of steam for Norsk Hydro and Pioneer Chemicals Inc. (PCI) for industrial processes.

The facility is capable of generating 4.5 terawatts of power per year.

The facility uses the following equipment:

• Two gas turbines with low NOx burners (combined output: 366 MW)
• Two heat recovery steam generators
• One steam turbine (output: 167 MW)
• Main building housing the turbines
• Evaporative cooling towers

TransCanada has operated its natural gas transmission business in Québec for more than 40 years and we are excited to increase our investment in the province with the Bécancour Power Plant and other future projects.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• July 5, 2004 - TransCanada’s Bécancour Cogeneration Project Receives Government Approval
• June 11, 2003 – TransCanada Agrees to Build 550 Megawatt Québec Power Plant

PROJECT SCHEDULE

• June 2003 – Project kick off
• Oct. 7 – Nov. 21, 2003 – Environmental public consultation period
• August 2004 – Construction
• September 2006 – Operations

corporate responsibility

For more information on TransCanada's community, health, safety and environment activities, consult the following reports:

• 2005 Corporate Responsibility Report
• 2004 Climate Change and Air Issues Annual Report [4 MB .pdf]
• 2004 Social Responsibility report [701 KB .pdf] or visit the Social Responsibility section of our website.

CONTACTS

Jacques Otis
Plant Manager
819.294.4700
jacques_otis@transcanada-qc.com

Media inquiries
1.800.608.7859

What is cogeneration?

TransCanada designs cogeneration plants with a focus on fuel efficiency. With high thermal efficiencies, cogeneration plants minimize fuel consumption - saving money and reducing emissions.

The Bécancour cogeneration facility burns natural gas to drive the generators to produce electricity. The hot combustion gases that exhaust from the combustion turbines pass through heat recovery steam generators producing steam. The steam is used to drive the steam turbine generator, producing additional electricity. A portion of the steam is extracted from the steam turbine and sent to the two steam hosts, Norsk Hydro and Pioneer Chemicals Inc. (PCI) for industrial processes. Electricity generated from the plant is supplied to the Hydro-Québec electrical grid for distribution and sale.