hydro-québec - sustainability report 2009
DESCRIPTION
Hydro-Québec generates, transmits and distributes electricity. Its sole shareholder is the Québec government. It uses mainly renewable generating options, in particular hydropower, and supports the development of wind energy through purchases from independent power producers. It also conducts research in energy related fields such as energy efficiency.TRANSCRIPT
SUSTAINABILITYRepoRT
2009
CONTENTS
1 MessagefromthepresidentandChiefexecutiveofficer
2 AboutThisReport
3 OurApproach
4 SustainabilityGovernance
7 Hydro-QuébecandItsStakeholders
9 OurAchievements
10 energyefficiencyandRenewableenergies
18 environmentalprotectionandQualityofLife
25 SocialCommitment
30 High-Quality,Customer-DrivenService
32 HumanResourcesDevelopment
34 ContributiontotheQuébececonomy
37 MajorFacilities(map)
38 GlobalReportingInitiative(GRI)Index
39 ourperformanceataGlance
40 Glossary
41 VerificationStatement
Hydro-QuébecProductiongeneratespowerfortheQuébecmarketandsellsits
surplusesonwholesalemarkets.Itisalsoactiveinarbitragingandpurchase/resale
transactions.
Hydro-QuébecTransÉnergieoperatesthemostextensivetransmissionsystem
inNorthAmericaforthebenefitofcustomersinsideandoutsideQuébec.
Hydro-QuébecDistributionprovidesQuebecerswithareliablesupplyofelectricity.
Tomeetneedsbeyondtheannualheritagepool,whichHydro-Québecproductionis
obligatedtosupplyatafixedprice,itmainlyusesatenderingprocess.Italso
encouragesitscustomerstomakeefficientuseofelectricity.
Hydro-QuébecÉquipementandSociétéd’énergiedelaBaieJames(SeBJ),a
subsidiaryofHydro-Québec,design,buildandrefurbishgenerationandtransmission
facilities,mainlyforHydro-QuébecproductionandHydro-QuébecTransÉnergie.
Hydro-Québecgenerates,transmits
anddistributeselectricity.Itssole
shareholderistheQuébecgovernment.
Itusesmainlyrenewablegenerating
options,inparticularhydropower,
andsupportsthedevelopmentof
windenergythroughpurchasesfrom
independentpowerproducers.It
alsoconductsR&Dinenergy-related
fields,includingenergyefficiency.
Thecompanyhasfourdivisions:
On the cover:In the Manicouagan-Uapishka region, a 114-km² reservoir stretches out above Manic-2 dam. The region was designated a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program. A model of sustainability in the making.
H Y D R o - Q U É B e C
FewelectricitycompaniescanboastashighalevelofprofitabilityandassmallanenvironmentalfootprintasHydro-Québec.Weowethis
performanceinlargeparttotheabundant,powerfulhydraulicresourcesavailableinQuébecandthevisionshownbypastgenerations
whosuccessfullytappedthispotential.ouremployeesarefollowingintheirfootsteps,andtheSustainability Report 2009givesconcrete
evidenceoftheirachievementsintheareaofsustainabledevelopment.
InkeepingwiththeQuébecgovernment’spriorities,Hydro-Québecisworkingtoreduceitsgreenhousegasemissionsbyfocusingonthe
threeprioritieslaidoutinitsStrategicplan:energyefficiency,renewableenergiesandtechnologicalinnovation.
Theeconomicslowdownin2009resultedinasomewhatlowerrateofparticipationbybusinesscustomersinourenergyefficiencyprograms.
Theywereagreatsuccesswithresidentialcustomers,however.overall,theprogramsgeneratednewenergysavingsof946GWhoverthe
year.Thechallengefor2010willbetoencouragethebuildingindustrytoincorporateenergyefficiencymeasuresrightfromthedesignstage.
TheyearalsofeaturedthecommissioningoftheRupertdiversionandthelaunchofconstructionontheRomainehydropowercomplex—
animportantadditiontoourenergyreserves.Wehavecompletedthedraft-designstages, inconsultationwiththehostcommunities,
andsignedanumberofpartneringagreementswithAboriginalandotherlocalcommunities.environmentalstudiesandmeasurescarried
outbefore,duringandafterconstructionwillcostover$300millionaltogether.Inadditiontogeneratingapproximately$1.3billioninregional
economicspinoffs,theRomainecomplexwillprovideareliablesupplyofelectricitythatwillallowHydro-Québectoincreaseitsexports
tomarketsoutsidetheprovince.
IntheongoingrefurbishmentprojectatGentilly-2nucleargeneratingstation,weproceededwiththeengineering,procurementand
planningactivitiesbegunin2008.Atthesametime,welaunchedphaseIIoftheprojecttobuildwastemanagementfacilitiestostorethe
solidradioactivewasteproducedduringtheplant’srefurbishment.
Asregardstechnologicalinnovation,Hydro-Québec’sresearchinstitute(IReQ)andtheuniversitychairsassociatedwithitpursuedtheir
initiativestoimproveoverallpowersystemperformance.Theyalsohelpeddevelopmaterialsusedtomakebatteries,whileconducting
researchontheelectricalinfrastructurerequiredforgroundtransportationelectrification.
Lookingforward,weplantofurtherstepupoureffortstowork,withourstakeholders,towardourcommondevelopmentobjectives.
ThierryVandal
presidentandChiefexecutiveofficer
M e S S A G e F R o M T H e p R e S I D e N TA N D C H I e F e X e C U T I V e o F F I C e R
1H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
TheSustainability Report 2009isdesignedtoinformourstakeholdersaboutourenvironmental,socialandeconomicperformance.Afterconsultingwithsomeofthesestakeholders,wehavedecidedtopresentourperformanceunderthefollowingsixheadings,whichencompassouractivitiesandchallengesintermsofsustainability:
› energyefficiencyandRenewableenergies
› environmentalprotectionandQualityofLife
› SocialCommitment
› High-Quality,Customer-DrivenService
› HumanResourcesDevelopment
› ContributiontotheQuébececonomy
S cope
Thisreportpresentsthe issuesandimpactsofHydro-Québec’sactivitiesinQuébecthroughout2009.Reportsfrompreviousyearsareavailableatthefollowingaddress:www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/enviro_performance
Newfeatures
› Integrationofcertainstakeholders’expectationsintotheSustain-abilityReport.
› FirstperformancereportontheSustainable Development Action Plan 2009–2013.elementsthatcontributetoreachingActionplantargetsareidentifiedbythe 0 symbol.ThenumberindicatedreferstothespecificactionintheActionplan.
› Briefdescriptionofthepublic-involvementprocessappliedinconjunctionwithHydro-Québecprojects.
› performanceindicatorsaccompaniedbycomments.
Communicationtools
TheSustainabilityReportisHydro-Québec’smainvehicleforreportingonitsperformancewithrespecttosustainability.However,othersourcesofinformationarealsoavailable:
› AWebsiteonsustainabledevelopmentprovidesfurtherdetails.
› Asummarysheetpresents2009sustainabilityhighlights.
› AsectionoftheAnnual Report 2009isdedicatedtosustainability.
Dataveri f icat ion
FinancialdatawereprovidedbytheVice-présidence−ComptabilitéetcontrôleandverifiedusingthesameauditingstandardsasHydro-Québec’sAnnualReport. Inaddition,selectedquantitativedatawereauditedindependentlybyIntertek.Thesefactsandfiguresareidentifiedbythefollowingsymbols: reasonableassuranceandmoderateassurance.Formoreinformation,seepage41.
CompliancewithGRI guidel ines
ThisreportdrawsontheGlobalReportingInitiative(GRI)guidelinesanditsnewelectricUtilitySectorSupplement,whichHydro-Québechelpedproduce.Theseguidelinesensurethecredibilityandqualityof
sustainabilityreporting.TheGRIhascheckedthatthereportcomplieswithapplicationlevelBofitssix-levelguidelines.Tolearnmore,readerscanconsultthepartialGRIindexonpage38ofthisreportorthecompleteindexonHydro-Québec’sWebsite.www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/griW
A B o U T T H I S R e p o R T
Opposite: Double-circuit 230-kV line between Mont-Joli and Sainte-Angèle-de-Mérici (Bas-Saint-Laurent), used to connect wind farms to Hydro-Québec’s grid.
“Effective participation in decision-making processes by local communities can help them articulate and effectively enforce their common interest.”
This statement from the 1987 Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development highlights the importance of
processes involving the public in the search for sustainability.
Hydro-Québec has taken concrete measures to allow its stakeholders to express their expectations and concerns regarding the company’s
infrastructure projects and other activities. These measures are reflected in the Sustainability Report 2009.
2 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
oURAppRoACH
4 SustainabilityGovernance
7 Hydro-QuébecandItsStakeholders
3
AtHydro-Québec,allphasesofgovernance,fromplanningtoper-formancereporting,undergoaprocessofcontinuousimprovement.Thecompany’spoliciesguideitsactionsandreflectitscommitmenttothemajorsocial,economicandenvironmentalissuescurrentlyatplay.Theprinciplesstatedinitspoliciesaredefinedandimplement-edthroughguidelinesandcodesofconductwhichrequireeachindividualtobeaccountable.
Withcontinuousimprovementasitsobjective,theBoardofDirec-torsevaluateditsownoperations,maderecommendations,suchasupdatingtheCode of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct for Directors, Executives and Controllers of Hydro-Québec,andapprovedtheDonationandSponsorshippolicy.www.hydroquebec.com/profile
othermechanisms,includingourenvironmentalandqualityman-agementsystems,whichmeetISo14001andISo9001standards,alsoensureresponsiblegovernance.
Access to informationand protec t ionof personal information
Hydro-Québecmakeseveryefforttoprotectthepersonalinformationofitsemployees,customersandsuppliers,whilefulfillingitsobligationsintermsofaccesstoinformation.In2009,thecompanyreceived302requestsforaccesstoinformation.ofthese,49weredeniedforreasonsprescribedbylawsuchassecurity,industrialorcommercialconfidentiality,orthepresenceofpersonalinformation.www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/act-access
W
SUSTAINABIL IT Y GoVeRNANCe
Strategic Plan
published inJuly, theStrategic Plan 2009–2013confirmsHydro-Québec’scommitment tosustainabledevelopment. Its threemainareasoffocusareenergyefficiency,renewableenergiesandtechnologicalinnovation.www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/strategic_plan
S T R AT E G I C P L A N 2009 – 2013: M A I N A R E A S O F F O C U S
EnergyEfficiency RenewableEnergies TechnologicalInnovation
electricityisavaluableresource.
Thatiswhyenergyefficiencyisattheheartofthecompany’sbusinessobjectives.
Hydro-Québechassetanambitiousgoal:toachieve8TWhinenergysavingsby2013,withatargetof11TWhby2015.
electricityfromrenewablesourcesisanessentialcomponentofsustainabledevelopment.
ThatiswhyHydro-Québecisbeginninganewphaseoflarge-scalehydroelectricdevelopment,tofinishcarryingoutQuébec’senergystrategyandtoimple-menttheNorthernplan.
Thatisalsowhythecompanyiscontinuingtoconnectwindfarmsofnearly4,000MWresultingfromitstendercallsofrecentyears.
Technologicalinnovationisapowerfulengineforgrowthandperformance.
ThatiswhyHydro-Québeciscountingonnewtechnologiestoremainontheleadingedgeofitsindustry,improvecustomerservicesandfurtherenhanceitsperformance.
Thatisalsowhyelectricgroundtranspor-tationisbecomingathrustofthecompany’sgrowthandinnovationefforts.
SOCIALRESPONSIBILITYANDGOVERNANCE
Corporate Knights magazinerankedHydro-Québecasthe
fifth-bestcorporatecitizeninallofCanadain2009,based
onenvironmental,socialandgovernanceindicators.
4 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
BoardofDirectors
Madeupof17directorsfromvariousregionsandindustrysectors.
› Approvalof11corporatepolicies
› Approvalofcodeofethics
› Approvalorreviewofthefollowingpublications:Strategicplan,Businessplan,AnnualReport,SustainabilityReport,semiannualreportsonenvironmentallegislativecompliance
PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficer
› Approvalofinternalguidelines
› ApprovalofCodeofConductforemployees
› ApprovalofSustainableDevelopmentActionplan
› Annualmanagementreviews
Hydro-QuébecProduction
Hydro-QuébecTransÉnergie
Hydro-QuébecDistribution
Hydro-QuébecÉquipementetservicespartagés
Groupe–Technologie
› procurementofgoodsandservices
› Adoptionandimplementationofbusinessplans
› environmentalimpactstudies
› Maintainingofcertifiedmanagementsystems
› Negotiationsandpartnershipswithgovernmentauthorities
› partnershipswithuniversities
› Researchontheenvironment,renewableenergiesandenergyefficiency
› Communityrelations
› Customerrelations
Vice-présidence–Ressourceshumaines
› Adoptionandimplementa-tionofbusinessplans
› Jointcommittees
› Supervisionandcoordinationoftraining,healthandsafety
› Corporatesuccessionplan
› employmentequityprogram
› Relationswithunionleadership
Groupe–Affairescorporatives etsecrétariatgénéral
› Accesstoinformationandprotectionofpersonalinformation
› Adoptionandimplementa-tionofbusinessplans
› Governmentalaffairs
› Legalaffairs
› ethics-relatedadvice
› Supervision,coordination,trainingandmonitoring(environment,communityrelations,communications)
› evaluationofpublicsatisfaction
› SustainableDevelopmentActionplan
› RegionalprofileofHydro-Québec’sactivities
› AnnualReport
› SustainabilityReport
› Facilitysecurity
Vice-présidence–Comptabilitéetcontrôle
Vice-présidence–Financement,trésorerie et caissede retraite
› Financialstatements
› Businessriskmanagement
CorporateOmbudsman
› Mediationfordisputesettlement
Hydro-Québec production
Hydro-Québec Distribution
Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie
Hydro-Québec Équipement et services partagés
Board of Directors
Groupe – Technologie
Groupe – Affaires corporatives et secrétariat général
Vice-présidence – Ressources humaines
Vice-présidence – Comptabilité et contrôle
Vice-présidence – Financement, trésorerie et caisse de retraite
president and Chief Executive Officer
M A I N AC T I V I T I E S O F S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y G O V E R N A N C E
Corporate Ombudsman
Internal Auditor
ThischartincludestheorganizationalchangesmadeinJanuary2010.
5H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Sustainable DevelopmentAc t ionPlan
Alongsideourmanagementsystemsandinternalcoordinationmechanisms,theSustainable Development Action Plan 2009–2013,publishedinMarch,isatoolforachievingsustainability.ItexpressesourcommitmenttoQuébec’sGovernmentSustainableDevelopmentStrategy2008–2013.ThisSustainabilityReportdescribesourperformancewithregardtotheActionplan’sobjectives.
www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/sd_action_plan
SUS TA I N A B L ED E V E LO PM E N TAC T I O NPL A N2 0 0 9 –2 0 1 3
Action Indicator Annualtarget
Achievedtodate
2009results
1 Buildhydropowerprojectsandcontributetothedevelopmentofwindpower.
Capacityandenergyavailable 138MW 138MW Romainecomplex(p.15,26-27,35)
eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupertproject(p.16,27,35)
Chute-AllardandRapides-des-Cœursdevelopments(p.16,35)
Windpowerpurchased(p.13)
2 Increasethecapacityofexistinghydroelectricgeneratingstations.
Gainsinpeakcapacity 35MW 52MW outardes-4generatingstation(p.13)
LaTuquegeneratingstation(p.17)
3 Stepupenergyefficiencyinitiatives. Recurringenergysavings 4.5TWh 4.3TWh energyefficiencyplan(p.11)
CATVARproject(p.12,26)
Corporateenergyefficiency(p.12)
4 Continuetohelplow-incomecustomers. Numberofarrangementswithlow-incomecustomersa
22,200 32,107 Supportforlow-incomecustomers(p.31)
5 Reducetransport-relatedGHGemissions. Atmosphericemissionsfromthevehiclefleet
53,500t 55,016t Co2emissionsfromourvehiclefleet(p.23)
Business-relatedtravel(p.24)
6 promotereductionatsource,reuseandrecycling.
Numberofat-sourcereductionorreclamationprogramsintroducedoroptimized
2 4 phaseIIoftheresidualmaterialsmanagementprogram(p.23)
Recycling(p.23)
7 establishspecificationsforsustainableprocurement.
Numberofproductpurchasingguidesthatincludesustainablespecifications
1 2 Agreementforthepurchaseofabsorbentsandspillkits(p.23)
officefurniturepurchasingguide(p.23)
8 Informandeducateemployeesregardingsustainabilityandthecompany’sapproach.Helpemployeeslearntoapplysustainabilityprinciplestotheirdailyactivities.
percentageofemployeeseducated
40% 72% Results(p.33)
percentageofemployeeshavingsufficientknowledgeaboutsustainability
10% 10.5% Results(p.33)
9 Improvevegetationcontrolmethodsonthedistributionsystemtobetterprotectbiodiversity.
percentageofvegetationcontroloperationsperyearwithintegratedmeasuresforpromotingbiodiversity
80% 89% Results(p.24)
examplesofmeasures(p.22)
10 organizesustainableeventsandpromoteresponsiblemanagementofeventssponsoredbyHydro-Québec.
Averagenumberofcontributingmeasuresimplementedamongthoseselectedforthesustainablemanagementofevents
8/25 10.7/25 Resultdetails(p.23)
a) Includinglong-termarrangements.
6 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Collaborationwithstakeholders
Acrediblesustainabledevelopmentapproachmustincludeongoingrelationswithprimarystakeholders.
overtheyears,Hydro-Québechasdevelopedavarietyofeffectivecollaborativeandinformativemechanismsforgaininginsightintoitsstakeholders’needsandconcerns.Thecompany’sobjectiveistoreconcilesometimesconflictingexpectations,whileremainingconsistentinitsactivitiesandprojects.
HYDRo-QUÉBeC AND ITSSTAKeHoLDeRS
CO L L A B O R AT I V EM E CH A N I S M SW I T HS TA K E H O L D E R S
Stakeholders Sustainabilityissues Examplesofinformativeandcollaborativemechanisms
2009results
Customers › Helpforlow-incomecustomers› Customersatisfaction› Increasingenergysavings
› Hydro-Québec–consumerassociationsworkinggroup
› Tableofcustomerexpectations› Surveyofcustomersatisfaction› Mechanismforhandlingcomplaints
andclaims› partnershipsfortheenergyefficiencyplan
› Numberofpaymentarrangementswithlow-incomecustomers(p.31)
› Customerexpectationsandpriorities(p.30)› Satisfactionindexespercustomercategory
(p.31)› AVeNUeprojects(p.12)
Communities,includingAboriginal
› Acceptabilityofprojects› Integrationoffacilitiesinto
theenvironment
› Liaisoncommitteeswithmunicipalassociations
› TeamsinchargeofcommunityandAboriginalrelations
› Supportforlocalinitiativesinconnectionwithprojectsandotheractivities
› partnershipagreementreachedwiththeInnucommunityofekuanitshitregardingtheRomaineproject(p.27)
› publicinvolvementprocess(p.25)› GowiththeFlowcampaign(p.11)› Integratedenhancementprogram(p.28)
employees › educationandawarenessregardingsustainability
› Succession› Healthandsafety› employeesatisfaction
› Corporatesuccessionplan› Workplacehealthandsafetycommittees› employeesatisfactionsurvey
› percentageofemployeeseducatedregardingsustainability(p.33)
› Work-relatedaccidentfrequency(p.33)› employeesatisfactionindex(p.33)
Suppliers › Introductionofsustainablespecificationsinprocurementpolicies
› ContributiontothedevelopmentofQuébec’selectricityindustry
› partnerships(e.g.,sustainableprocurement,energyefficiencyplan)
› DedicatedWebsiteforsuppliers
› Creationofanofficefurniturebuyingguide(p.23)
› partnershipundertheReCYC-FRIGoenvironnementTMprogram(p.11)
› procurementwithinQuébec(p.36)
Governments › Informationsharing› ContributiontoQuébec’sGovernment
SustainableDevelopmentStrategy
› partnershipsandparticipationinjointcommittees
› SustainableDevelopmentActionplan(p.6)
› Biodiversityandprotectedareas(p.22)
Investors › presentationofthecompetitiveadvantageofferedbyhydropowerinthecontextofclimatechange
› periodicmeetingswithinvestorsonresultsandriskmanagement
› DedicatedWebsiteforinvestorrelations› Financialprofile
› Financialresults(p.36)
educationalinstitutions
› Developmentofaskilledworkforce › Supportforuniversities› Conferencesandeducationalresourcekits› Technologicalpartnerships
› Researchongreenhousegases(p.19)› Supportforuniversities(p.35)› FundingofIepe(p.33)› Youthawareness(p.29)
Non-governmentalorganizations
› establishmentofmutuallybeneficialrelationships
› LiaisoncommitteewiththeUniondesproducteursagricoles(Québecfarmproducers’unionorUpA)
› Cooperationwithconsumerassociations› Variouspartnerships› Donationsandsponsorships
› partnershipwiththeCentrequébécoisd’actionsurleschangementsclimatiques(p.19)
› AgreementwiththeUpA(p.26)› Donationsandsponsorships(p.29)
Generalpublic › publicsatisfaction › Satisfactionandperceptionsurvey› Websiteandtoll-freeline(1800363-7443)
› Generalpublicsatisfactionindex(p.27)
Unions › Harmoniouslaborrelations › Healthandsafetycommittees› Jointcommittees
› Jointtrainingonharassmentprevention(p.33)
7H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Opposite: Refurbishment of the underground distribution grid in Lorraine. Cable crew: Sylvain Thériault, Richard L. Robert, Pascal Kegyes and David Filiatrault.
I N T E G R AT I O N O F S TA K E H O L D E R S’E X P E C TAT I O N S I N TO T H E S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E P O R T
In2009,Hydro-Québecheldmeetingswithvariousgroupsandindividualstounderstandtheirexpectationswithregardtothecompany’sSustainabilityReport.
Uniondes produc teurs agricoles (UPA)
expectationscompiledfromtheHydro-Québec–UpAliaisoncommittee:
› Discussself-generationanddistributedgeneration.
› Includedataonenergyefficiencyinthefarmingsector.(p.11)
› presentthestepstakentominimizetheimpactonagriculturallandandforestswhenpassingtransmissionlines.(p.26)
› Addressthecontributionandcooperationoffarmersandforestproductproducerswhenpassingtransmissionlines.(p.26)
Employees
expectationexpressedinameetingwithemployeesintheDirection−expertiseetstratégiescorporativesenressourceshumaines:
› establishstrongerlinksbetweenhumanresourcedevelop-mentandsustainability.(p.32-33)
FédérationQ uébécoise des Municipal i tés (FQM)
expectationscompiledfromtheHydro-Québec–FQMliaisoncommittee:
› presentadefinitionandlong-termvisionofsustainabilityspecifictoHydro-Québec.
› Improvethepresentationoftheenergycontextthatjustifiestheprojects.(p.12-14)
› Usecomparisonswithenergysectorpeers.(p.33)
› Describethespecificnatureofenergyefficiencyprogramswhichtargetdifferentcustomercategories.(p.11-12)
› providemoreinformationoncommunity-basedenergydevelopmentprojects.(p.13)
› providemoreinformationonnuclearandthermalenergy.(p.18-20)
› Discusseconomicissuesandregionaleconomicspinoffsingreaterdepth.(p.34-36)
Transmissionlineconstructioncanhavevaluableregionaleconomicspinoffs.Forexample,whenthe230-kVRimouski−LesBouleslinewasbuilt,themunicipalityofSaint-octave-de-Métisreceived$135,364underHydro-Québec’sIntegratedenhancementprogram.
InthehistoricboroughofLaprairie(Montérégie),1.4kmofdistributionlineswereburiedaspartoftheQuébecgovernmentprogramforundergrounddistributionsystemsinheritage,culturalandtouristsites.Thisprogramallowsmunicipalitiestoenjoytheaestheticandadditionalbenefitsofundergrounding.
8 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
oURACHIeVeMeNTS
10 EnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergies
18 EnvironmentalProtectionandQualityofLife
25 SocialCommitment
30 High-Quality,Customer-DrivenService
32 HumanResourcesDevelopment
34 ContributiontotheQuébecEconomy
In2009,theeconomicslowdownledtoadeclineinthedemandforelectricity
fromQuébec’sindustrialcustomers.Nonetheless,thesecondannualprogress
reportontheElectricity Supply Plan 2008–2017,submittedtotheRégiedel’éner-
gie,forecastsariseintheneedforpowerandenergyby2017.Theincreased
demandisassociatedwithnewindustrialprojectsandthegrowinguseof
electricheating.ElectricitysalesinQuébectotaled165.3TWhin2009,andare
expectedtoreach175.7TWhin2013.Thisforecastincludesthe11-TWhtarget
ofrecurringsavingsby2015.
Inordertomeetdomesticelectricityrequirements,Hydro-Québecisfocusing
ontwomainstrategies:promotingenergyefficiency,andmeetingincreases
intheremainingdemandbyemphasizingrenewablesavailableinQuébec.To
handleveryshort-termelectricityneeds,one-timepurchasesofelectricityand
bilateralagreementshavebeenincludedintheSupplyPlan.Forshort-termpower
needs,thecompanyreliesoncommercialmeasurestakenwithourcustomers.
Forexample,wemayaskcustomersthathavesignedupfortheinterruptible
electricityoptiontoreducetheirpowerdemandduringpeakperiodsinreturn
forcompensation.
eNeRGYeFFICIeNCYANDReNeWABLeeNeRGIeS
Daniel-Johnsondam,builtin1968,istheworld’slargestmultiple-archdam.
10 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
P R O M OT I N G E F F I C I E N T U S E O F E L E C T R I C I T Y
Hydro-Québec’scommitmenttoenergyefficiencystartedover50yearsago.oureffortsinthelatterpartofthe20thcenturyledtosignificantlyhigherstandardsandregulationsforbuildingsaswellasforelectricalsystemsandappliances.Atthesametime,majorawarenesscampaignshelpedchangetheconsumptionhabitsofQuebecers.
In2003,Hydro-Québecintroducedtheenergyefficiencyplanwhichfocusesonenergyconservationmeasures.eventhoughthesimplestandleastcostlymeasureshadalreadybeenadoptedduringpreviousdecades,theprogramsrecommendedbytheenergyefficiencyplanweresuchasuccessthatthetargetsinenergysavingswererevisedupwardseveraltimes.our2015target,however,remainsunchanged:11TWhofrecurringsavings.
2009 H ighlights
Duetotheeconomicsituationoverthepastyear,theenergysavingsgeneratedbyourenergyefficiencyprogramsin2009areslightlylowerthanthoseachievedin2008.However,overall,our2009initiativesstillledtonewsavingsof946GWh.IfweexcludetheresultsassociatedwiththeCATVARproject,thesavingstotal912GWh(comparedwith1.1TWhin2008),meaning4.3TWhintotalannualsavingsgeneratedbytheenergyefficiencyplan.
› Closeto650partneringagreementswerereachedwithretailers,distributors,manufacturersortheiragents,andconsumerassocia-tions,inordertohelpuspromoteenergyefficiencyprogramsandsupportourstakeholdersintheirenergyconservationefforts.
Residential customers
› ReCYC-FRIGoenvironnementTMprogram, inpartnershipwithRecyclageÉcoSolutions:Since the launchof thisprogram inMarch2008,186,162energy-guzzlingrefrigeratorsandfreezershavebeencollectedthroughoutQuébecandrecycled,representingenergysavingsof147GWh.Alloftheappliances’componentsarerecycledinlinewithsustainabilityprinciples,includingthemotoroil,mercuryandhalocarbons—partofthechlorofluorocarbon(CFC)family.www.recyc-frigo.com/en
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ENER
GY
EFFI
CIEN
CY A
ND
RE
NEW
ABL
E EN
ERG
IES
E N E R G YE FFI C I E N C YPL A N (GW H)
Target Actuala
2006 2007 2008 2009 2006 2007 2008 2009Energysavingsb 523 661 745 985 740 900 1050 912
Residentialcustomers 257 301 352 485 376 359 403 528
Businesscustomers 126 191 222 272 177 197 222 256
Large-powercustomers 140 170 171 229 187 345 426 129
a) The2009actualresultsincludetheprogramsoftheAgencedel’efficacitéénergétique.Datafrompreviousyearsmayhavebeenadjustedfollowingprogramevaluation.
b) overalltotalandsumofsubtotalsmaydifferduetorounding.
3
› energyefficiencyRetrofitprogramforLow-IncomeHouseholds:In2009,initiativescarriedoutforsocialhousingunits,housingcooper-ativesandnon-profitorganizationsgenerated24.7GWhinsavings,comparedtoourobjectiveof12.1GWh.Theprogram’smostpopularfeaturesaretheinstallationofelectronicthermostatsandtheuseofmoreefficientlightingproducts.
› eNeRGYWISeHomeDiagnostic(launchedin2004):Thisyear,weperformedouronemillionthdiagnostic.Sinceoctober2007,communitieslocatedinall17administrativeregionsinQuébechaveworkedwithustopromotetheHomeDiagnosticaspartoftheGowiththeFlowcampaign.Inexchange,theyobtainfinancialsupportfromHydro-Québecforenvironmental,cultural,sportsandrecreationprojectsorforcommunityinitiatives.AsatDecember31,2009,morethan900communitieshadagreedtoparticipateinthiscampaign.www.hydroquebec.com/residential/diagnostic
Business and large -powercustomers
› empowerprogramforIndustrialSystems:Despitethedifficultiesfacedbytheindustrialmarketinearly2009,thenumberofprojectsregisteredforthisprogramwas17%higherthanlastyear. Infact,with255newprojects,webroketherecordforthemostregis-teredprojects,setin2004,bymorethan6%.In2009,thisprogramgeneratednetsavingsof42.9GWh.www.hydroquebec.com/business/appui_pmi
› Lightingcomponentoftheefficientproductsprogram:Inthespring,weannouncedthat,asofoctober1,wewouldbereducingtherebategivenfortheinstallationofcategory2ballasts.Themarketquicklyreactedtothisnewsand,bytheendof2009,theprogramhadgeneratednetsavingsof89.5GWh,closetofourtimesthetargetof23.5GWh.www.hydroquebec.com/efficientproducts/eclairage
› Farmequipmentcomponentoftheefficientproductsprogram:Wepromotedtherebatesofferedtofarmerswhentheybuyspecificfarmingproducts(heatpads,plateheatexchangers,fans)andlighting,motorandrefrigerationproducts.In2009,farmerssaved10.7GWh,whichismoreenergysavedthanin2006,2007and2008combined.www.hydroquebec.com/efficientproducts/agricole
› Large-powerCustomersprogram:111efficiencyprojectswereimplemented,generatingtotalsavingsof129GWh.Todate,86.5%ofcustomersinthiscategoryhaveparticipatedinatleastoneofHydro-Québec’sefficiencyprograms.www.hydroquebec.com/energywise
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11H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Energyeff ic ienc yof H ydro - Q uébec ’ssystemandfaci l i t ies
› WepursuedtheCATVARproject(voltageregulationandreactivepowercontrol),whoseobjective istoreduceconsumptionandenergylossesonthedistributionsystem.Testsperformedthusfaratpierre-Bouchersubstation(Montérégie)confirmthepotentialforapproximately2TWhinoverallsavingsby2015.In2009,wefocusedonrevisingthevoltagesetpointsinall78satellitesubstations.
› Wefinishedinstallingefficientequipment(ventilation,lighting,etc.)inthebuildingsofHydro-QuébecDistribution,thuscompletingthesecondphaseinaprojectaimingatsavingsof24GWhperyear.Wehavemovedontothethirdphase,whichinvolvesinstallingefficientequipmentinallofthecompany’sadministrativebuildings.
› Adjustingthebuildings’temperaturesettings,aprocessinitiatedin2008andcontinuedin2009,leadstoannualenergysavingsof12.3GWh.
Technological innovation
› TheAVeNUeS(MarketplaceTestingforenergy-efficientTechno-logies)programcontinued.
- AnewenergyefficiencyprojectbeganwiththecommunityofMashteuiatsh.ThistypeofprojectcouldbecarriedoutwithotherAboriginalcommunitiesinQuébec.
- Weparticipatedinthecreationofacommonnetworkofgeother-malwellsaspartofaresidentialcondominiumconstructionproject.
- Under the Abondance Montréal and Alstonvale projects,eQuilibriumTMhomesweredesignedaccordingtothezero-energyconcept.
› ongoingresearchatHydro-Québec’senergy technologieslaboratory(LTe)lookedatoptimizingpowerconsumptionthroughenergymanagementsystems, lightingcontrolsystems,heating,ventilationandairconditioningsystems,etc.
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S U S TA I N A B L E G E N E R AT I O N
Todealwiththeenvironmentalandeconomicthreatsassociatedwithclimatechange,worldwideexpertsagreethat renewableenergiesmustbeusedtosupplyan increasingportionof theworld’senergy.
In2009,representativesofthee8,whichbringstogethertheworld’s10largestelectricitycompanies,includingHydro-Québec,metinRome.Theysuggestedvarioussolutionstofightclimatechange,suchaspromotingcommerciallyviablegeneratingoptionswithlowtonoemissions, includinghydropower,windpower,solarenergyandnuclearpower.
AccordingtodatafromtheInternationalenergyAgency,renewablesaccountforbarely18%ofglobalenergyconsumption.InQuébec,where98%ofelectricityisproducedfromrenewablesources,thefigureisnearly50%.1
Tworenewables—hydropowerandwindpower—arethesourceofmostofQuébec’selectricity;athirdsource,nuclearpower,thoughnotrenewable,generatesnocarbonemissions.ThisexplainswhyGHGemissionsfromtheelectricitysectorareamere2%inQuébec,comparedto29%inontarioand42%inAlberta.2
Hydro-Québecisalsoinvolvedinresearchonauxiliaryrenewableslikesolar,biomassandgeothermalenergy,aswellasothermeansofgenerationsuchashydrokineticpower,salinitygradientpoweranddeepgeothermalenergy.
1. Québec’senergystrategy2006–2015.2. National Inventory Report 1990–2007: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada,
April2009,environmentCanada.
E N E R G YE FFI C I E N C YPR O G R A M S– C U S TO M E RC AT E G O R I E S a
2006 2007 2008 2009Residentialcustomers(ENERGYWISEProducts)
electronicthermostats(number) 1,055,503 1,036,115 824,391 722,734
poolfiltertimers(number) 165,685 181,774 208,462 147,538
Householdappliances–Washersandrefrigerators(number) 46,409 152,737 183,787 149,717
Lighting–Compactfluorescentlightbulbs(number) 2,405,538 3,375,387 1,618,071 1,387,184
Residentialcustomers(other)
HomeDiagnosticquestionnaires(number) 227,119 39,450b 93,438 151,222
Recoveredenergy-guzzlingrefrigeratorsandfreezers(number) notapplicable notapplicable 66,493 119,669
Businesscustomers
empowerprograms(numberofprojectssubmitted) 636 795 752 681
Large-powercustomers
IndustrialAnalysisandDemonstrationprogram(numberofprojectsaccepted) 53 22 23 24
IndustrialInitiativesprogram(numberofprojectsaccepted) 157 109 82 75
BuildingInitiativesprogram(numberofprojectsaccepted) 65 51 40 36
a)Mayhavebeenadjustedfollowingprogramevaluation.
b)Dropduetoprogramoverhaul.
12 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
H Y D R O E L E C T R I C I T Y
Hydropoweraccountsforapproximately16%ofglobaloutput,andmorethan60%ofthepowergeneratedinCanada. Intermsofannualoutput,Canadaistheworld’ssecond-largesthydropowerproducer,3behindChina.Hydropowergeneration isontherisearoundtheworld,especiallyinAsiaandSouthAmerica.However,accordingtothe InternationalenergyAgency, inordertomeetthegrowingglobaldemandforelectricitybetweennowand2030,44%oftheworldwidegeneratingfleetisexpectedtobecoal-fired,representinga3%increasecomparedto2009.
Withwaterusedtogenerate98%ofHydro-Québec’soutput,thecompanyisthelargesthydropowerproducerinNorthAmerica.Inadditiontobeingrenewable,hydropoweriscleanenergy.Viewedfroma life-cycleperspective,GHGemissionsfromageneratingstationwithareservoirareabout40timeslowerthanthosefromagas-firedpowerplantand100times lowerthanthosefromacoal-firedplant.
2009 H ighlights
› Refurbishmentcarriedoutat10hydroelectricgeneratingstations,includingoutardes-4andLaTuque,yieldedgainsof33MWin2008(14MWatoutardes-4and19MWatLaTuque)and19MWin2009(atLaTuque),foratotalof52MW.
› Welaunchedaprogramforthepurchaseofelectricitygeneratedbysmallhydro(plantsof50MWorless),foratotalof150MW.Thegoalofthisprogramistoenable local, regionalandAboriginalcommunitiestodevelophydropowerprojects.www.hydroquebec.com/distribution/en/marchequebecois
› The33rdannualConferenceofNewenglandGovernorsandeasternCanadianpremierswasheldinSaintJohn,NewBrunswick.AresolutionwaspassedrecognizinghydropowerasarenewableenergyandrecommendingthatCanadianandAmericanlegislationgrantsimilarrecognition.
3. www.canhydropower.org
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W I N D P O W E R
AccordingtostatisticspublishedbytheGlobalWindenergyCouncil,worldwidewindpowercapacityroseby31%in2009.Athirdofthis increaseisattributabletoChina,whichdoubleditscapacityforthefifthconsecutiveyear. InCanada, installedwindcapacitygrewby950MW,including128MWinQuébec,representinganincreaseof40%.
With659MWin installedcapacity,Québecrankssecondinthecountry,behindontario,intermsofwindpowerandaccountsforcloseto20%ofCanada’swindfarmcapacity.4
Hydro-Québecisdevelopingwindpowertocomplementitshydro-powerassets.Giventheuncertainandintermittentnatureofwindgeneration,abalancingserviceisrequiredtooffsetvariationsinoutput.Theflexibilityofhydropowerprovidesthisbalanceandmakestheintegrationoflargequantitiesofwindpowerpossible.
2009 H ighlights
› We issuedacall for thepurchaseof two250-MWblocksofQuébec-generatedwindpower,onereservedforAboriginalpro-jectsandoneforothercommunityprojects.TheseprojectsmusthaveaminimumQuébeccontentcorrespondingto60%ofthetotalcostsforeachwindfarm,andatleast30%ofthecostoftheturbinesmustbeincurredintheGaspésie−Îles-de-la-Madeleineadministrativeregion.www.hydroquebec.com/distribution/en/marchequebecois
› Wereceivedourfirstdeliveriesof127.5MWfromtheSaint-Ulric−Saint-Léandrewindfarm,thefourthwindfarmcommissionedinGaspésiefollowingthe2003tendercall(1,000MW).
› TheconstructionofLeplateauwindfarminGaspésie(138.6MW)wasapproved.
› publichearingswereheldonthedevelopmentofDesMoulinswindfarm(156MW) intheChaudière-Appalachesregion,andDeL’Érablewindfarm(100MW)intheCentre-du-Québecregion.
4. www.canwea.ca
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TheSaint-Ulric–Saint-LéandrewindfarmdelivereditsfirstkilowatthoursinNovember.
LesBrasseursduNordwasthegrandprizewinneroftheeNeRGYWISeCompetitionofexcellence.ThemicrobrewerywasrecognizedforhavingintegratedvariousenergyefficiencymeasureswhenitexpandeditsfacilitiesinBlainville.
175,000
140,000
105,000
70,000
35,000
0
06 07 08 09
HydroelectricityandtotalenergygeneratedbyHydro-Québec
Total net energy generated (GWh) Net hydroelectricity generated (GWh) Hydroelectricity/total net energy
generated (%)
150,
552
162,
062
164,
678
166,
809
145,
730
157,4
77
160,
792
162,
766
96.8 97
.2
97.6
97.6
photo:JoanSullivan
13H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
OT H E R R E N E WA B L E E N E R G I E S
Hydro-Québectakesanactiveinterestinotherrenewables,whichcanbeusedeitherforheatingorforpowergeneration.
2009 H ighlights
S olar energy
› WenegotiatedaprofessionalservicescontractbetweentheAgencedel’efficacitéénergétiqueandourenergytechnologieslaboratory(LTe)forthecollectingofenergyandcapacitydatafrom25residentialinstallationsofsolarwaterheatersinQuébec.
Biogasandbiomass
› Apilotprojectislookingintopowerandheatgeneratedfromfarm-basedbiogasthroughtheanaerobicprocessingofswineslurry.ItsgoalistoevaluatetheprofitabilityandefficiencyofsuchaprojectinQuébec.Afterseveralweeksoftrials,themeancapacitywentfrom25kWto40kW.
› Weissuedacallfor125MWofpowerproducedinQuébecbynewcogenerationfacilitieswithbiomassaccountingforatleast75%ofthefuelusedtogeneratetheelectricity.Weacceptedeightbidsfromsevenproponentsforatotalof60.7MW.www.hydroquebec.com/distribution/en/marchequebecois
S al init y gradient power, hydrok ineticpoweranddeepgeothermal energy
› Salinitygradientpower:Weareconductingacriticalevaluationofthisoptionanddeterminingoperatingconstraints.
› Hydrokineticpower:Wearecontinuingtoexplorethisoption.
› Deepgeothermalenergy:DataisbeingcollectedtodeterminethepotentialforthisoptioninQuébec.
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N E TE L E C T R I C I T YG E N E R AT E DA N DPU R C H A S E DBYH Y D R O - Q U É B E C (GW H)
2006 2007 2008 2009Hydropowergenerated 145,730 157,477 160,792 162,766
Windpowergenerated 2.0 1.3 0.4 0.0
Hydropowerpurchaseda 36,923 34,542 37,068 31,417
Biomassandwastereclamationpowerpurchased 1,303 1,468 1,439 1,319
Windpowerpurchasedb 421 666 810 1,131
Totalrenewables 184,379 194,154 200,109 196,633
Totalenergygenerated 150,552 162,062 164,678 166,809
Totalenergypurchased 45,684 46,094 41,925 36,372
Totalenergygeneratedandpurchased 196,236 208,156 206,603 203,181
Renewables/totalenergygeneratedandpurchased(%) 94 93 97 97
a) IncludespurchasesfromChurchillFalls(Labrador)CorporationLimitedandindependentpowerproducers,includingMcCormickgeneratingstation,inwhichHydro-Québecacquireda60%interestinDecember2009.
b) Doesnotincludewindenergypurchasesforwhichrenewableenergycertificatesweresoldtothirdparties.
EMERGINGENERGIES
Salinitygradientpowerisproducedbyaturbinedrivenbythe
pressurethatresultswhenfreshwatermigratestosaltwater
throughasemipermeablemembrane.Apilotgeneratingstation
wascommissionedinNorwayin2009.
Hydrokineticpowerisgeneratedbyaturbinesubmergedinthe
seaorinariver.AprototypebeingtestedintheUnitedKingdom
hasfourturbinesandatotalcapacityof4MW.
Deepgeothermalenergyinvolvesextractingtheheataccumu-
latedinverydeeprockformations(uptoadozenkilometres
belowground)andconvertingitintoelectricandusablether-
malenergy.InIceland,forexample,boreholesareusedtohar-
nessvaporinordertodriveturbinesandgenerateelectricity.
Morethan20countriesusedeepgeothermalenergyforpower
production.
14 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
D e V e Lo pM e N T p R o J e C T S
E N V I R O N M E N TA LM O N I TO R I N GATT H ER O M A I N ECO M PL E X – AFE WE X A M PL E S
Objective 2009activity
Maintainrecreationalandtourismactivities
CrossingconditionsoftheRomainewereestab-lishedtoconfirmthesitingofasnowmobilebridge.
MaintainInnulanduse Huntingandfishingsiteswerestudiedtopreventanyproblemsrelatedtonoiseandtraffic.
Maintainthewoodlandcariboupopulation
Thenumberofwoodlandcaribouwasrecordedandtheenvironment’scarryingcapacitywasestimated.Themovementsof15femalesweretrackedbymeansoftransmittercollars.
Monitorgreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwithworksiteactivities
emissionsassociatedwithfuelconsumptionbymotorvehicles,helicopterflightsandthelifecycleofconcreteweremonitored.
R O M A I N E CO M P L E X1
Projectdescription
Status:underconstruction
Cost:$6.5billion
Region:Côte-Nord
Construction:2009–2020
Installedcapacity:1,550MW
Plannedannualoutput:8.0TWh
Overalleconomicspinoffs:$3.5billionforQuébecasawhole,including$1.3billionforCôte-Nord
Completeprojectfactsheet:www.hydroquebec.com/romaine (AvailableinFrenchonly)
2009Highlights
› Jobscreated:377workers(monthlyaverage).
› Annualexpenditure:$175million,including$74millionintheregion.
› Constructionofaccessroadsandworkcampshasbegun.
› TheNishipiminan Agreement 2009wassignedwiththeInnucommunityofekuanitshit.
› Archaeologicaldigshaverevealednumerousartifacts.TheworkattheBassindesMuraillessiteuncoveredthefirstsignsofprehistorichumanpresencebetweenthemouthofthepuyjalonandthatofthepetiterivièreRomaine.
In2009,webrokegroundontheRomainecomplex,whichisconsideredtheprojectofthedecadeinQuébecandthelargestinfrastructureprojectinCanada.Itispartofthe4,500-MWportfolioofhydropowerprojectsincludedinHydro-Québec’sStrategicplanandSustainableDevelopmentActionplan.
TheRomaineprojectcallsfortheconstructionoffourgeneratingstationswithreservoirsandapermanent150-kmroad.
LikeallHydro-Québecprojects,itwasevaluatedonthebasisofthreecriteria.
Profitability
› TheRomaineprojectwillyieldsubstantialreturnsintheexportmarketaswellassignificanteconomicspinoffs.
Environmentalacceptability
› Anecologicalinstreamflowandanambitiousenhancementprogramextendingover20yearswillhelpmaintainorevenincreasetheAtlanticsalmonpopulation.
› Closeto$175millionwillbeallocatedtostudies,mitigationmeasuresandanenvironmentalmonitoringprogramduringconstruction.Thisnumberisinadditiontothe$145millionalreadyinvestedsincethebeginningofthedraft-designphase.The2009investmenttotals$5million.
› Duetothesteepterrain,theareaofthefourreservoirs(279km²)willbefairlysmallrelativetothequantityofenergygenerated.Inaddition,theprojectwillnotaffecttheArchipeldeMinganortheaquaticenvironment.
Favorablereceptionbylocalcommunities
› partneringagreementswerereachedwiththeregionalcountymunicipalityofMinganieandtheInnucommunitiesofekuanitshit,Nutashkuan,UnamenShipuandpakuaShipi.Throughtheseagreements,Hydro-Québecwillsupporteconomic,communityandculturalprojects,aswellaseducationandthepracticeoftraditionalactivities.
EXPANSIONOFTHETRANSMISSIONGRID
INTHEMINGANIEREGION
TolinktheRomainecomplextothemaintransmissiongrid,fourtransfor-mersubstationsandfourlinesrunningatotallengthof496 kmwillbebuilt.Thefacilitieswillbecommissionedinstagesfrom2014to2020.Studieswereperformedtodeterminethelineroutesandsubstationlocationsthatwouldminimizetheimpactonvaluedlandscapes,inhabitedareas,wildlifeandplanthabitatsofparticularinterest,andwetlands.
Theprojectwillcostanestimated$1.15billion,including$850millionforthelines.Theenvironmentalimpactstatementwasfiledin2009.ThepublichearingbytheBureaud’audiencespubliquessurl’environnement(BAPE)isscheduledfor2010.
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InstallationofafishbarrierontheRomaine.Thegoal:toestimatetheabundanceoftheadultsalmonpopulationmigratingupstreaminordertoevaluatetheimpactoftheoperationoffuturegeneratingstations.
15H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
E A S T M A I N - 1 - A / S A R C E L L E / R U P E R T P R O J E C T1
onNovember7,2009,theeastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupertprojectcompletedacrucialstep:thecommissioningoftheRupertdiversion.
Theprojectincludestheconstructionofeastmain-1-A(768MW)andSarcelle(150MW)powerhouses,aswellasthediversionofpartoftheRupert’swaterstothesegeneratingstationsandontoRobert-Bourassa,LaGrande-2-AandLaGrande-1intheLaGrandecomplex,locatedfurthernorth.
Projectdescription
Status:underconstruction
Cost:$5.0billion
Region:Nord-du-Québec
Construction:2007–2012
Installedcapacity:918MW
Plannedannualoutput:8.7TWh
Economicspinoffs:$2.9billionforQuébecasawhole,including$640millionforNord-du-Québec
Completeprojectfactsheet:www.hydroquebec.com/rupert/en
2009Highlights
› Jobscreated:4,209person-years;Creesaccountedfor11%oftheworkforce.
› Annualexpenditure:$1,134million,including$240millionintheregion.
› Digswentonat29archaeologicalsites,includingamajorlocationthatcontains20areasofhumanoccupationspanningmorethanfourmillennia.
› Spawninggroundsandwetlandsweredeveloped,andwaterbodieswerestockedwithlakesturgeon.
› Anewdrinking-waterplantwasbuiltinWaskaganish.
› Approximately6,100haoflandwerecleared,correspondingto30%ofthefloodedlandarea.
› Aninventorywasmadeof189beavercolonies.Trappingin113ofthesecoloniesallowedCreetallymentobenefitfromsignificanteconomicspinoffs.
› Aquatichabitatsinthereduced-flowsectionoftheRupertandtraditionaluseoftheriverbyAboriginalsweremaintained.
› Webegancarryingoutourcommitmentswith35tallymen(workcamprelocation,remedialworks,etc.).
C H U T E - A L L A R D A N DR A P I D E S - D E S - Cœ U R S D E V E LO P M E N T S
1
ThecommissioningofChute-AllardandRapides-des-Cœursgeneratingstationswascompletedin2009(lastthreeunitsatChute-AllardandlastfiveatRapides-des-Cœurs).
InadditiontotheChute-Allard(62MW)andRapides-des-Cœurs(76MW)developments,thisprojectcallsfortheconstructionofanaccessroadandapermanentbridgeovertheSaint-Maurice.
Projectdescription
Status:inoperation
Cost:$1.0billion
Region:Mauricie
Construction:2005–2009
Totalinstalledcapacity:138MW
Totalannualoutput:0.9TWh
Economicspinoffs:$292millionforMauricie
Completeprojectfactsheet:www.hydroquebec.com/cardc(AvailableinFrenchonly)
2009Highlights
› Jobscreated:264person-years;Aboriginalsaccountedfor9%oftheworkforce.
› Annualexpenditure:$49million,including$23millionintheregion.
› Wecarriedoutremedialworkstorebuild1,730m²ofbrooktrouthabitatwhichwasdamagedbythespringflood.Weraisedtheweirsandusedcoarseraggregatetoreducetherisksofgraveldisplacement.
Sarcellepowerhouse. Rapides-des-Cœursgeneratingstation.
16 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
I N T E R CO N N E C T I O N W I T H O N TA R I O
In2009,the1,250-MWinterconnectionwithontariowascommissioned,enablingustosendmorepowertothatprovinceandonwardtoNewYorkStateandtheU.S.Midwest.Theinterconnectionincludesoutaouaissubstationandthe230-kVlinethatlinksthisconvertersubstationtotheontariogrid.Italsoincludesthe315-kVChénier−outaouaisline,currentlyunderconstruction,whichwillreinforcethenewsubstationandgivetheregionamoresecuresupplyofpower.
Projectdescription
Status:partI–315/230-kVoutaouaissubstationandextensionofthe230-kVlinetoontario:commissioningofthesubstationandlinewascompletedinNovemberpartII–Chénier−outaouaisline:underconstruction
Cost:$654million
Region:outaouais
Construction:partI:2006–2009partII:2009–2010
Interconnectioncapacity:1,250MW
Completeprojectfactsheet:www.hydroquebec.com/interconnexion(AvailableinFrenchonly)
2009Highlights
› Weinstalledalightingsystematoutaouaissubstationthatreducesthebrightnessofthetalllightingmastsby50%.
› Thelandscapingdesignwascompleted.
› WecarriedoutastudytobetterintegrateChéniersubstationoncetheChénier−outaouaislineisconnected.
› Special-statusplantspeciesweremonitoredafterthelandwasclearedinwinter2008–2009inpreparationforconstructionoftheChénier−outaouaisline.
› WebeganerectingtowersandinstallingconductorsontheChénier−outaouaisline.Toimprovethevisualintegrationoftheline,wheneverpossiblewearebuildingthetowersnexttothoseontheChénier−Vignanline.Wewillalsobeusingreduced-footprinttowersonfarmland.
G AT I N E AU S U B S TAT I O N
TherebuiltGatineausubstationnowcomprisesacontrolbuildingmadefromprefabricatedparts.
Projectdescription
Status:inoperation
Cost:$19million
Region:outaouais
Construction:MarchtoDecember2009
Voltage:120kV
2009Highlights
› SinceGatineausubstationislocatedinaresidentialarea,thecontrolbuildingwasconstructedfrompartsthatwereprefabricatedinaplant.Thisnewpracticecutdownconsiderablyonthenoiseanddustnormallygeneratedbybuildingprojects,inadditiontoreducingtheconstructiontimebyfourmonths.
› Theswitchingroomislocatedinsidethebuilding,thuslimitingthenoiseemittedbycircuit-breakeroperation.
› Allrecyclables(paper,cardboard,plastic)wererecoveredwiththehelpoftheGatineaucommunity’sservices.
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outaouaissubstation. Gatineausubstation,returnedtoservicein2009.
17H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Whetheritisaquestionofreducingatmosphericemissions,complyingwith
environmentallegislation,mitigatingtheimpactsofitsoperations,encour-
agingsustainablepracticesorpreservingresources,heritageandbiodiversity,
Hydro-QuébecreliesonISO14001–compliantenvironmentalmanagement
systemsandtrained,environmentallyresponsibleemployeestoreduceits
environmentalfootprint.
Today,globalclimatechangeistheforemostenvironmentalchallenge.The
QuébecgovernmentiscommittedtoreducingGHGemissions,andHydro-
Québecplaysakeyroleinachievingthisobjective.Accordingtostatistics
publishedbytheMinistèreduDéveloppementdurable,del’Environnementet
desParcs,totalGHGemissionsinQuébecaccountfor11.8%ofemissionsacross
Canada.SincethemajorityofQuebecersheatwithcleanelectricity,percapita
emissionsinQuébecarehalfthelevelintherestofthecountry.1
P O W E R G E N E R AT I O N , P U R C H A S E S A N D E X P O R T S
AccordingtoenvironmentCanada,2in2007Hydro-Québecgenerated29%ofthetotalelectricityproducedinCanadaand0.21%ofthepowerindustry’sCo2emissions.Inadditiontomeetingdomesticelectricitydemandwithrenewableenergysources,bysellingpoweroutsideQuébecthecompanyhelpstoreduceGHGemissionsthroughoutnortheasternNorthAmerica.
1. www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/changements/ges/2007/inventaire2007.pdf(AvailableinFrenchonly)2. National Inventory Report 1990-2007, Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada,April2009,environmentCanada.
eNVIRoNMeNTALpRoTeC TIoN ANDQUALIT YoFL IFe
ospreynestnearLemaredam(eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupertproject).
18 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
2009 H ighlights
› AtmosphericemissionsfromHydro-QuébecpowergenerationweresignificantlylowerthantheaverageforneighboringprovincesandstatesinCanadaandtheU.S.:65timeslessCo2(carbondioxide),51timeslessSo2(sulphurdioxide)and35timeslessNox(nitrogenoxides).www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/documentation/pdf/etiquette_achats_en.pdf
› NetpowersalesoutsideQuébec replacedthermaloutput,therebyavoidingnearly9milliontonnesofCo2emissions.
› WecontinuedanextensivestudycomparingnetGHGemissionsfromeastmain1reservoirwithnaturalenvironmentemissionsovera100-yearperiod.FundedjointlywiththeCanadianFoundationforClimateandAtmosphereSciences,thisstudyisbeingconductedincollaborationwiththeUniversitéduQuébecàMontréal,McGillUniversity,environmentCanadaandenvironnementIllimité.In2009,grossemissionsfromthereservoirfellforthethirdconsecutiveyearto119,000tCo2eq.,a44%declinefrom2008and87%from2006.emissionsarecomparabletothosefromnaturalaquaticenviron-ments,indicatingthattheeffectofreservoirimpoundmentlastslessthan10years.ThepreliminaryfindingsshowthatGHGemissionsfromQuébecreservoirsare35to300timeslowerthanthosefromthermalpowerplantsofequivalentcapacity.Thestudywillrununtil2012andthefirstresultswillbeknownin2010.www.eastmain1.org
› ourvoluntarydeclarationtoenvironmentCanadareported1,543kgofsulphurhexafluoride (SF₆)emissionsand303kgoftetrafluoromethane(CF₄)emissionsfor2008.Theseemissionsaresimilarto2007levels.
› Thecompanyprovidedfinancialsupportandactivelypartici-pated in11climatechangeprojectswiththeCentrequébécoisd’actionsurleschangementsclimatiques,anumbrellaassociationof Équiterre, the Regroupement national des Conseils régio-nauxde l’environnementduQuébec, theConseil régionaldel’environnementdeMontréal,enjeu,VivreenvilleandtheCentredel’environnement–Écobâtiment.
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CO2
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
06 07 08 09
SO2
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
06 07 08 09
NOx
7,200
5,400
3,600
1,800
0
06 07 08 09
AtmosphericemissionsfromHydro-Québecthermalgenerationoperations(tonnes)
Generating stations connected to the main grid Generating stations supplying off-grid systems
215,
243
245,
832
233,
054
390,
077
979
1,15
0
1,15
4
1,95
9
5,91
7
6,20
5
6,13
2 6,71
0
192,
470
199,
885
199,
286
200,
782
897
967
1,045
1,130
5,84
5
6,05
6
6,02
7
6,08
5
22,7
74
45,9
47
33,7
68
189,
295
82 183 10
9 829
72 149
105
625
AGREEMENTWITHT WOVERMONTPOWERUTILITIES
Hydro-Québecsignedamemorandumofunderstandingwith
two largepowerutilitiesinVermontinMarch 2010regarding
powersupplytoVermontcustomers.Thisagreementwillprovide
stable,clean,competitivelypricedrenewablepowerthrough2038.
Vermontplanstoenactlegislationtodesignatelarge-scalehydro,
which wouldincludeHydro-Québecpower,asrenewable.
The renewable-energycreditrevenuesforHydro-Québecpower
deliveredovertheHighgateInterconnectionwouldbeshared
betweentheVermontcompaniesandHydro-Québec.
Most of these emissions are from thermal generating stations supplying off-grid systems. The higher emissions in 2009 are mainly related to increased use of Tracy thermal power plant (Montérégie) owing to the unavailability of two units at Churchill Falls generating station and one unit each at La Grande-3 and La Grande-4, as well as the limited winter output of some generating stations in the Manic-Outardes complex.
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19H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
G E N T I L LY - 2: C L E A N , R E L I A B L E E L E C T R I C I T Y
Likeallothernuclearpowerplants,Gentilly-2generateselectricitywithoutGHGemissions.Sinceitislocatednearmajorloadcentres,theplantalsosupportstransmissionsystemstabilityandreliability.Ithasbeenoperatingsafelyforover25yearsandiskeptcontinuouslyrunningbyastaffof750employees.
Gentilly-2accountsforabout5%ofCanada’snuclearwaste,includinglow-andmedium-activitywasteandirradiatedfuel.Fortheshortterm,thiswasteisbeingstoredsafelyonthepremises,whereitiscarefullymonitoredbyHydro-Québec.Studiesonlong-termdisposalofirradiatedfuelarebeingconductedbythefederalNuclearWasteManagementorganization.www.hydroquebec.com/gentilly-2 (Available in French only)
2009 H ighlights
› Theprojectteamwascreatedforthepowerplantrefurbishmentscheduledfor2011and2012;engineeringandprocurementcontinued,asdidanalysisofthelessonslearnedfromtherefurbishmentofpointLepreaunuclearpowerplantinNewBrunswick.Therefurbishmentprojectwillcreateabout800jobsandgenerateeconomicspinoffsof$600millionprovince-wide,including$200millioninthearea.
› Thesolidradioactivewastemanagementfacilityisbeingexpandedtostorewasteproducedduringpowerplantrefurbishment.
› environmentalradioactivitymonitoring(groundwater,precipitation,ambientair,sediment,fodder,vegetables,maplesyrup,etc.)showsthatinmanysamples,theradioactivityreadingsareoftenbelowthedetectablelimitforlaboratoryequipment.Measurableconcentrationsarewithinregulatorylimitsanddiminishquicklyasthedistancefromthedischargepointincreases.
› Radiationexposureformembersofthepublicmostlikelytobeexposedtoplantwasteisestimatedat0.12%ofthemaximumexposuresetbytheCanadianNuclearSafetyCommission.
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G R O U N D T R A N S P O R TAT I O N E L E C T R I F I C AT I O N
InQuébec,40.7%ofGHGemissionscomefromtransportation.Roadtransportationalonegenerates32.5%ofallQuébecemissions.3Inlinewiththeprovince’sClimateChangeActionplan,Hydro-Québecpromotesgreateruseofelectricityforpersonalandpublictrans-portation.AnumberofrelatedinitiativesintheStrategicplanwerecompletedin2009.www.hydroquebec.com/transportation-electrification
2009 H ighlights
› ThecompanyisparticipatinginafeasibilitystudyforatrolleybusprojectbytheSociétédetransportdeLavalaswellasafeasibilitystudybytheAgencemétropolitainedetransporttoconvertcom-mutertrainstoelectricity.Hydro-Québecalsoagreedtoprovidefinancialsupportforphase2studiesofMontréal’sstreetcarproject.
› InJune,Hydro-Québecsignedathree-yearagreementwithFordMotorCompanyandtheelectricpowerResearchInstituteintheU.S.underwhichit isparticipatinginaNorthAmericantestanddemonstrationprogramforplug-inhybridelectricvehicles.Hydro-QuébecistheonlyCanadiancompanytakingpartinthesetests.
› AttheMontrealInternationalAutoShow2010,Hydro-QuébecandMitsubishiCanadaannouncedthefall launchofCanada’slargestall-electricvehiclepilotproject.Underthis$4.5-millionproject,tobecarriedout incollaborationwiththecityofBouchervilleandlocalcompanies,asmanyas50Mitsubishii-MieVelectricvehicleswillbetested.ThetestswillhelpHydro-Québecplanthenecessarycharginginfrastructureforhomes,officesandpublicplaces.
3. www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/changements/ges/2007/inventaire2007.pdf(AvailableinFrenchonly)
Inenvironmentalfollow-upstudiesfortheRomaineproject,substratequalityismonitoredinAtlanticsalmonspawninggrounds.
AttheMontrealInternationalAutoShow2010,thelaunchofCanada’slargestall-electricvehiclepilotprojectwasannounced.Asmanyas50Mitsubishii-MieVswillbetestedinBoucherville.
20 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Technological innovation
› Thecompany’sTM4subsidiaryproducesandmarketsdrivetrainsbasedontechnologydevelopedbyHydro-Québec’sresearchinstitute(IReQ).TM4’slatest-generationelectricmotors,theMФTIVeTMseries,havethebestpower-to-weightratiointheirclass,withindustry-leadingefficiencyandautonomy.TheIndianautomakerTataMotorsanditsNorwegiansubsidiaryMiljoGrenland/Innovasjonselectedthesemotorsforthehundredall-electricvehiclesundergoingtrialsaspartofademonstrationprogramineurope.
E N V I R O N M E N TA L CO M P L I A N C E A N D E N V I R O N M E N TA L F O L LO W - U P S
Thecompany’s ISo14001−certifiedenvironmentalmanagementsystemssupportstrictcompliancewithenvironmentallegislation.Hydro-Québecalsoconductsdetailedenvironmentalfollow-upsinareasaffectedbyitsprojectsandoperations.
2009 H ighlights
› Thenumberofnoncompliancenoticesfellto20in2009from31in2008.Nomajorviolationswerereported.
› environmentalfollow-upswereconductedattheportneuf,SaultauxCochons,Sainte-Marguerite-3,Toulnustoucandeastmain-1facilities.Ateastmain-1,monitoringfocusedonlakesturgeonintheRivièreeastmainandeastmain1reservoir:spawningandlarvaedrift,telemetricmonitoringofsturgeonstaggedfrom2005to2008andmonitoringoffishpassuse.Thesuccessrateforallfishobservedatthepassentranceisnearly64%.
› environmental follow-ups were carried out for the RivièreManouanediversion,péribonkageneratingstation(Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean)andChute-AllardandRapides-des-Cœursgeneratingstations(Mauricie).Atpéribonka,thedevelopedwetlandhasbeenusedbywaterfowlforbreedingandrearing.
› Thiswasthelastyearofice-coverfollow-upduringoperationofRocher-de-Grand-Mèregeneratingstation(Mauricie).Thefollow-upshowedthatoperationsatthestationhadnosignificantimpactonicecover,evenathighoutputs.
WAT E R B O DY M A N AG E M E N T
Québechashalfamillionlakesand4,500riverscoveringabout12%oftheprovince.4Hydro-Québecoperates26largereservoirsand571damsandcontrolstructurestopreservethewaterbodies’qualityandsharetheiruse.
Anumberofstudiesareconductedtoensurethatthetemporaryincreaseinfishmercurylevels,aconsequenceofreservoirimpound-ment,doesnothaveanynegativeimpactonwaterqualityoraquaticorganisms.Fishconsumptionguidesareupdatedregularlyincooper-ationwithlocalpublichealthagencies,sothatpeoplecancontinuetoeatfishsafely.www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/documentation/mercury.html
4. www.gouv.qc.ca/portail/quebec/pgs/commun/portrait/territoire/?lang=en
2009 H ighlights
› Weparticipatedinvariouswatershedcommitteeswithotherusers, includingthoseinGatineau,Saint-Maurice,MontmorencyandLesescoumins.
› Abrochureonwatermanagement inLacTémiscouatawaspublishedforlocalresidentsandusers.
› Afollow-upwasconductedonthedrinkingwaterprojectintheeastmainCreecommunityincooperationwiththeCreeNation.
› Thefollow-uponfishmercurylevelsinthewesternpartoftheLaGrandecomplexconfirmedthatfornon-piscivorousfishofstandardlength,mercurylevelsreturnedtothenaturalaverageabout20yearsafterimpoundment.Forstandard-lengthpiscivorousfish,thetrendinaveragelevelsindicatesthatmercuryconcentrationsshouldreturntonaturallevelsafter20to30yearsforwalleyeandafter30to35yearsfornorthernpike.
› MinorchangesweremadetothefishconsumptionguidefortheRivièreManouaneareaasaresultofthefollow-upofmercurylevelsandconcernsexpressedbyHealthCanadaregardingfishconsumptionbypregnantwomen.ThenewversionenablespregnantwomentoeatfishwhilekeepingtheirmercuryexposurebelowthelimitsrecommendedbyHealthCanada.
S O I L A N D G R O U N D WAT E R M A N AG E M E N T
Inadditionto itsongoingcontaminatedsiterehabilitationpro-grams,Hydro-Québecendeavorstoreducetheenvironmentalandhuman-healthrisksofitsoperationswhenselectingandmanagingtreated-woodpolesusedtocarrydistributionandtransmissionlines.Whenlargequantitiesofpolesarestoredforalongperiod,leachingofwoodpreservativesfromthepolesmaycontaminatethesoil.
2009 H ighlights
› TheCentredeservicespartagésconducted30operationson26differentsites:environmentalassessments,characterizations,rehabilitationsandenvironmentalfollow-ups.ThepolestorageyardinLavalandthegasstationinAnjouwererehabilitated.
› environmentalassessmentorcharacterizationwasperformedattheKuujjuarapikandInukjuak(Nord-du-Québec)andBlanc-Sablon(Côte-Nord)thermalpowerstations.
› Thefollow-uponsoilremediationbynaturalattenuationwascompletedat thepontardtelecommunicationssite (Nord-du-Québec).Whenremediationended,atotalvolumeof115m³ofcontaminatedsoilhadbeenexcavated.Analysisoftheditchwallsindicatesthatthesiteisnowfreeofresidualcontamination.
› protectivemeasureswereimplementedattheLavalandSaint-Jérômepolestorageyards.Thepolestoragearea inLavalhasahigh-performancebituminousgeomembraneprotectedbyablan-ketofrecycledrubber.ThestorageareainSaint-Jérôme(Laurentides)ispavedwithasphaltandrunoffischanneledintoanundergroundfiltrationsystem.Twomorepilottestsarescheduledin2010.
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21H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Technological innovation
› AprototypemethoddevelopedbytheHydro-Québecresearchinstituteusesalesstoxicpreservativetotreatwoodpoles;perform-ancetrialsinactualweatherconditionsareplanned.Thismethodwillbemarketedinpartnershipwithaworldleaderinwoodpreservation.
B I O D I V E R S I T Y P R E S E R VAT I O N
Initsoperationsandprojects,Hydro-Québecendeavorstopreservebiodiversityandconsidersthephysical,biologicalandhumancom-ponentsoftheenvironmentaswellastheirregulatoryprotection.Inaccordancewiththecorporatebiodiversitystrategy,thecompanyalsohelpstorestorethreatenedandvulnerablespeciesinQuébec.
Inaddition,thecompanyplaysanactiverole inthenetworkofprotectedareasinQuébecandassessessitesthatcouldbecomeprotectedareas. In2009,theQuébecgovernmentincreasedtheprotectedlandareato135,763km²,or8.14%oftheareaoftheprovince,therebyexceedingthe8%objectivethathadbeenset.
Biodiversitypreservationalso involvesresponsiblemaintenanceof33,244kmoftransmissionlinerights-of-way,120,000hectaresofwhicharewoodedandahighpercentageofwhichareinremoteareas.Inaddition,morethan100,000kmofoverheaddistributionlinescrossfarmland,forests,andresidentialandurbanareas,mainlyinthesouthernpartoftheprovince.
Vegetationcontrolisnecessarytoensurepowersystemreliabilityandworkerandpublicsafety,maintainclearancebetweenlinecon-ductors,provideaccesstolinesandprotectequipmentfromforestfires.ItissubjecttoastandardissuedbytheNorthAmericanelectricReliabilityCorporation(NeRC),whichgovernspowertransmissioninNorthAmerica.
2009 H ighlights
› Baffleswere installedto increaseflowvelocityandpreventfinesedimentaccumulationinabrooktroutspawninggroundaspartofadikestabilizationprojectatBersimis-2generatingstation(Côte-Nord).
› eelmigrationwasmonitoredatBeauharnoisgeneratingstation(morethan61,000eelsusedtwofishpasses)andatChamblydam(619eelsusedthefishpass).ThesearethebestresultsatBeauharnoisgeneratingstation(Montérégie)since1994.
› Thepresenceandmovementsofturtles inBeauharnoiscanalwerestudied.
› The identificationguideforthreatenedandvulnerableplantspecieswasupdated.Thisguideis forprojectdesigners,serviceagentsandforest techniciansworkingonvariousdistributionsystemprojects.
› Avegetation-controlstudyusingcompetingplantswascon-ductedbytheUniversitédeMontréalplantbiologyresearchinstitute.Theresultsindicatethatapplicationofablendofselectedseedslimitstreegrowthinlinerights-of-way.Thestudyalsorevealedthatcuttinginrights-of-wayandtreatingthestumpswithherbicidereducesinvasionbyincompatiblespeciesandfosterstheestablish-mentofcompatiblespecies.www.hydroquebec.com/vegetation/en
› Theintegratedvegetationcontrolprogramfortransmissionlinerights-of-waywasupdatedtomeetNeRCrequirements.Herbicideusestillcausesconcern,buteffortsarebeingmadetoexplainHydro-Québec’smethodofensuringthatthesechemicalsareusedinaresponsiblemanner.
› Measuresintendedtoreinforcebiodiversityindistributionlinerights-ofwayweremonitored (selectiveclearing,debriswind-rowingandsnagpreservation).The findingsshowthat thesemeasuresareusefulformaintainingandimprovinghabitatsinornearrights-of-way.www.hydroquebec.com/trees
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9
W
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
06 07 08 09
500
375
250
125
0
06 07 08 09
Vegetationcontrolalongtransmissionlinerights-of-way(ha)
Vegetationcontrolondikesanddams(ha)
Area treated mechanically Area treated selectively with herbicides Total area treated
Hydro-Québec uses less than 0.4% of the pesticides sold annually in Québec.
15,0
67
15,7
87
20,6
92
19,2
04
279
318
457 48
3
10,8
65
12,0
40
16,4
02 13,9
48 125 153
184
245
4,20
2
3,74
7
4,29
0
5,25
6
154
165
273
238
Hydro-Québecwasawardedfirstprizeinthe2009Leaders in Sustainable Transportation contestorganizedbytheCentresdegestiondesdéplacementsdeMontréal.Thecompanyencouragesitsemployeestousemoreenvironmentallyfriendlymodesoftransportationthansingle-occupantcars.Amongtheinitiativeswerefreebicycletune-ups.
22 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
S U S TA I N A B L E P R AC T I C E S
Throughenergyefficiency,reductionatsource,reuse,recyclingandsustainabletransportation,Hydro-Québecencouragesitsemployeestoreducetheenvironmentalfootprintoftheiractivitiesandthecompany’soperations.
2009 H ighlights
› over13,000tonnesofhazardousresidualmaterialswererecovered,and95%wererecycled.› AtCarillongeneratingstation(Montérégie),1,060m³ofchipsfrom
floatingwooddebriswererecycled.Thisinitiativewillbeexpandedtootherfacilitiesin2010.
› Inthesecondphaseof theresidualmaterialsmanagementprogram,recyclingstationsforvariousmaterialshavebeensetupinmeetingandtrainingroomsinadministrativecentresservicedbyanoutsiderecyclingfirm.
› Aninternalrecoveryandrecyclingprogramforcompactfluores-centlightbulbswasimplemented.
› Usedornoncompliantclothingwasrecoveredincooperationwiththebusinessandrecyclingtrainingcentres(CFeR)inAlmaandDrummondville.Thecentreshelpyouthsindifficultybyenablingthemtodevelopjobskills.
› Arecoveryservicewassetuptorecyclepreciousmetalscontainedinelectroniccomponents.partswerepreviouslycollectedbyscrapdealers.
› Athree-yearagreementworth$750,000wassignedwithtwosup-pliersforthepurchaseofabsorbentmaterialsandspillresponsekits.Inadditiontootheritems,wechoseabsorbentpadsmadeof100%recycledunbleachedcottonfibretoreplacetheuniversalabsorbentsmadeofpolypropylene,apetroleumderivative.Cottonisarenewablematerialandthecottonpadscost10%lessthanthesyntheticpads,withcomparableefficiency.
6
6
6
6
6
6
7
› Anewofficefurnitureprocurementguidecontainsspecificationsonmaterials,chemicalcontaminantemissionsthatcouldaffectambi-entairquality,repossessionoffurniturebysuppliersandrecoveryofpackagingmaterials.
› Sustainablemeasureswereappliedat51internalandexternalevents.Amongthemweretheuseofelectronicmediaforcom-municationstoreducepaperuse,locationselectiontolimittravel,promotionofpublictransitandactivemodesoftransportation,reductionoffoodwaste,anddonationofsurplusfoodtocharities.
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PR O C U R E M E N T, R E COV E RY, R E U S EA N DR E C YC L I N GO FR E S I D UA LM AT E R I A L S
Procurement Recovery Notes
2009 2006 2007 2008 2009
printercartridgesandaccessories(units) 23,728 13,297 15,823 18,040 13,199
Cellphonesandaccessories
purchased(units)
Recovered(kg)
2,816
notapplicable notapplicable 3,737 178
purchasesequalthenumberofunitsreplacedandactivated
The2008statisticincludesquantitiesaccumulatedforseveralyears
Insulatingoil(litres)
Internalreuse(%)
1,010 4,748,375
94.5
4,367,048
91.4
2,989,876
92.7
4,574,504 88.4
Regeneratedoilsufficedforalmostallrequirements
Metal(tonnes) notavailable
7,801 8,309 13,123 8,227 In2008,farmoreferrousmetalsweresoldbecauseofdisman-tlingprojects.The2009statisticexcludes450tonnesofpower-linehardware
Woodenpallets(units) notavailable
4,100 11,647 13,015 20,266 employeesaremoreawareoftheimportanceofrecycling
paperandpaperboard(tonnes)
447 871 1,002 1,474 1,166 paperpurchased:447tonnes
paperrecycled:425tonnes Ringbinders(units) 13,008 12,869 12,907 16,660 18,191
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45,000
30,000
15,000
0
06 07 08 09
13
CO2emissionsfromHydro-Québec’svehiclefleet(tonnes)
Total CO2 emissions from the vehicle fleet Target Total number of vehicles
Overall emissions have increased 1.1% since 2008, due to the use of more vehicles.
56,6
83
54,0
82
54,4
26
55,0
16
53,5
00
51,2
00
5,10
3
5,11
2 5,25
5
5,30
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23H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
› TheCarpoolingNetworkisanorganizationthatworksasafacilita-torforpeopleinterestedincarpoolingforthecommutetoworkandbusiness-relatedtravel.Weformed68teamsfor171employees.
› Twohundredlight-dutyvehicles,or44%ofthelight-dutyvehiclesreplacedduringtheyear,werereplacedwithmoreenergy-efficientmodels.
› Basedontheresultsofapilotprojectconducted in2009,aswitchwillbeinstalledonthebucketcommandconsoleofaboutfortybuckettrucksin2010toturnoffthetruckmotorwhileworkisinprogress.
› Speedlimitersinstalledtolimitheavy-truckspeedto90km/hcouldreduceCo2emissions forHydro-QuébecDistributionbyabout2%.
L A N D U S E
Hydro-Québecwishestomaintainapleasant,attractive livingenvironment:itsfacilitiesvisuallyblendinwiththeirsurroundingsandmeasuresareimplementedtoreduceequipmentnoise.www.hydroquebec.com/municipal/hq_peut_aider.html(Available in French only)
2009 H ighlights
› Systematic internalenvironmentalassessments integratedacomputerapplicationdedicatedtotransmissionlineprojectstoapplymitigationmeasuresthathavebeentriedandtestedoverthepast30years.
› Thetelecommunications toweronMontKékéko inRouyn-Noranda(Abitibi-Témiscamingue)wasdismantledanditsreflectorpanelwasconvertedintoanatureobservatorynamedLeNiddel’épervier(hawk’snest).
› Vaudreuil-Soulangessubstation(120/25kV)andtheDorion−Rigaudlineloop(Montérégie),whichconnectsthissubstationtothegrid,weredesignedtoavoidimpactsonwetlandsandtookfarming,landscapingandnoise-relatedconcernsintoaccount.Somerareplantspecieswererelocatedandanunderpassforamphibianswasconstructedbeneaththeaccessroad.
› IntheSaint-SacrementneighborhoodinthecityofQuébec,weparticipatedinCitéverte,aprojectof800housingunitsthatincorporatessustainableurbandevelopmentmeasures:mixeduse,greenspaces,walkingandcyclingfacilities,urbanheatingsystemconnectedtoathermalpowerplantfuelledbyforestbiomass,useoflight-emitting-diode(LeD)trafficsignalsandinnovativeresidualmaterialsmanagement.
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› AdozenkilometresofdistributionlineswereburiedinseveralQuébecmunicipalitiesundervarioussystemundergroundingprograms.www.hydroquebec.com/municipal/programme_enfouissement_reseaux.html (Available in French only)
› Mont-Tremblantsubstation(Laurentides)wascommissioned;itissurroundedbya45-mbufferzoneandnightlightingwillnotinterferewithoperationoftheneighboringastronomyobservatory.
› over$2millionwasinvestedintheongoingequipmentnoisereductionprojectatLévissubstation.Theprojectwilltakeseveralyearstocomplete(Chaudière-Appalaches).
› Wesigned211contractsforpublicorprivateuseofHydro-Québecpropertyarounditsfacilities.Inadditiontoroadconstruction,develop-mentofgardensandpublicparks,andcreationofpark-and-ridelotsforpublictransit,thecompanyalsoallowstheuseofitsrights-of-wayforcertainresidentialandbusinesspurposes.
P R E S E R V I N G H E R I TAG E
Hydro-Québecendeavorstoprotectandenhancethebuilt,techno-logical,naturalandarchaeologicalenvironment.
2009 H ighlights
› InadvanceofthedistributionsystemundergroundingprojectalongthemainstreetintheAylmersectionofGatineau(outaouais),archaeologicaldigsuncoveredanAboriginalhearthdatingfromthemid-19thcentury.
› TheCanadaResearchChaironBuiltHeritageattheUniversitédeMontréalassessed36ofHydro-Québec’sadministrativebuildingsthathaveheritagevalue;thisisafirstforthecompany’sreal-estateproperties.
› ThebuiltandtechnologicalheritageofDrummondville,Chute-HemmingsandRobert-Bourassageneratingstationswasinventoried.Thesegeneratingstationscontainoriginalequipmentofgreathistoricalvalue;someofitisstillinoperation.
› TheouterenvelopeofChute-Hemmingsgeneratingstationwasrefurbished:masonrywasrestoredinkeepingwiththeoriginalfeaturestoretaintheheritagevalueofthebuilding.
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PE R C E N TAG EO FV E G E TAT I O NCO N T R O LO PE R AT I O N ST H AT I N CO R P O R AT EB I O D I V E R S I T YPR OT E C T I O NM E A S U R E S (%)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Target 80 82 85 87 90
Resulta 89 a) Themeasureusedin2009ispruning.othermeasureswillbeadoptedin2010.
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24 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Withoperationsthroughouttheprovince,Hydro-Québecstrivestotakeinto
accounttheexpectationsandconcernsofitsstakeholdersincarryingoutits
projectsandactivities.
P R O J E C T ACC E P TA B I L I T Y A N D CO M P E N S AT I O N F O R I M PAC T S
Allstagesofinfrastructureprojectsundergoavoluntarypublicconsultationprocess.Ineachregion,acommunityrelationsteammaintainsadialoguewithstakeholdersthroughouttheprocess.Thecompanycanthereforetakethehostcommunity’svalues,interestsandconcernsintoconsiderationandmakedesiredadjustmentstoprojectswheneverpossible.Thevoluntarypublicconsultationprocessincludesthefollowingsteps:
› Generalinformation–projectdescription,rationaleandplannedstudies
› Informationandconsultationregardingprojectvariants
› presentationofthesolutionwiththeleast impactbasedonthesocial,environmental,technicalandeconomicdatacompiled
Dependingontheprojectstageandspecificfeatures,variouscommunicationmethodsareused,includinginformationanddiscussionpanels,informationbulletins,technicalcommittees,privateandpublicmeetings,andsoforth.Duringtheconstructionphase,communicationtakestheformofopen-houseeventsanddistributionofinformationonregionaleconomicspinoffstodesignatedrepresentativesofthehostcommunity.Uponprojectcompletion,thecompanyreviewscompliancewithitscommitmentstothehostcommunityandtheresultsoftheenvironmentalfollow-ups.
Majorgenerationandtransmissionprojectsarealsosubjecttoanenvironmentalassessmentprocedurethatincludesapublichearingsprocess.AfteradirectiveisissuedbytheMinistèreduDéveloppementdurable,del’environnementetdesparcs,anenvironmentalimpactassessmentmustbeconducted.Whenthestudyisdeclaredcompliant,theBureaud’audiencespubliquessurl’environnementbeginsitsprocess.IfinformationisrequestedfromtheMinister,publichearingsareheld.Thisconsultationprocessenablesmanypartiestoexpresstheirconcerns.
SoCIAL CoMMITMeNT
Montérégiehassome7,200farms,andfarmlandcovers75%oftheregion.everyyear,Hydro-QuébecorganizesmeetingswithlocalbranchesoftheUniondesproducteursagricolestokeeptheminformed,discussplannedprojectsandlistentotheirconcerns.
25H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Hydro-Québec,withateamofspecialists,endeavorstoaddressthequestionsraised.
FortheRomaineproject,Hydro-Québecobtainedgovernmentapprovalswithintheplannedtimebecauseof themeticulousstudiesandtheexperienceofemployeeswhowereabletorespondtoconcernsraisedbythepublicandbygovernmentauthorities.
E X A M PL EO FCO M M U N I T YD I A LO G U E
Project Region Achievement
Romainecomplex Côte-Nord Activitiestomakethejobsiteacceptabletothecommunityincludedjobsitetoursbyelectedofficials,communityorganizationsandthemedia,communityrelationsfollow-upmeeting,publicmeetings,jobfairandmediainterviews.
315/25-kVSaint-Bruno-de-Montarvillesubstationand315-kVline
Montérégie Activitiestoobtainthegreatestpossibleconsensuswithcommunityrepresenta-tivesonthesubstationlocationandlinerouteincludedtheprojectannounce-mentandgeneralinformation,sixpublicconsultationmeetingsandtwoinformationbulletins.
120-kVBeauceville−Sainte-Marieline Chaudière-Appalaches Atechnicalcommitteewasformedofcommunityrepresentativestooptimizetheproposedsolutionandmakeitmoreacceptable.Hydro-Québecrevieweditsprojectanddecidedtobuildadouble-circuitlineabout30kmlongbetweenBeaucevilleandSainte-Marie,asolutionfavorablyreceivedbythecommunity.Thisisalsothebestenvironmentalchoicebecauseitallowsanexistinglinetobedismantledanditaffectsfewproperties.
230/25-kVLimoilousubstation Capitale-Nationale SustainedcooperationwiththecityofQuébeconthesitinganddesignofthisurbansubstation.
CATVARproject Montréal Activitiestomaketheprojectacceptabletothecommunityincludedaprojectpresentationtoacommitteeofthemanagersof19Montréalboroughsand8citiesonMontréal’sWestIsland.
120-kVsupplylinefortheCanadianMalarticminingproject
Abitibi-Témiscamingue Differentvariantswereproposedtostakeholders(municipalities,governmentdepartments,interestedorganizations,landowners)andinformationbulletinswerepublished.
161/25-kVWaconichisubstationand161-kVline
Nord-du-Québec presentationtothetallymenandtheirfamilies:theprojectwillimprovethepowersupplytotheCreecommunityofMistissini.
1
3
2009 H ighlights
› our liaisoncommitteeswiththeUniondesmunicipalitésduQuébecandtheFédérationQuébécoisedesMunicipalitéscelebratedtheir10thanniversary.Thesecommitteeshavedevelopedpartnerships,solvedproblems, improvedapproachesandexploredinnovativemethodsinamultitudeofareasrelatedtorelationsbetweenHydro-Québecandmunicipalities.Theanniversarywascommemoratedwithaspecialeditionoftheirannualreportsoutliningachievementssince1999.
› TheliaisoncommitteewiththeUniondesproducteursagricoles(inexistencefor13years)empoweredatechnicalcommitteetoreviewtheagreementonthepassageoftransmissionlinesthroughfarmlandandforests.Thisagreementpromotesdialogueoninfrastructuresiting,choiceofmitigationmeasuresforconstructionandmaintenanceimpacts,andcompensationmethodforlandowners.
Preliminarystudies Post-projectDraftdesign Permitting Project
Mainstagesofamajorgenerationortransmissionproject
Need identified
project notice
Impact statement guidelines
Environmental impact assessment
Filing of environmental impact statement
public hearings
Screening analysis
Government authorizations
Recommendations to authorities
Engineering
procurement
Construction
Hydro-Québec
Authorities and government bodies
Commissioning Summary and follow-up
26 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
R E L AT I O N S W I T H A B O R I G I N A L CO M M U N I T I E S
Québecishometo11Aboriginalnationsin55communities.Anumberofthesecommunitiesareinareaswithhighhydropowerpotential,andHydro-Québecdevelopsmutuallybeneficialpartnershipswiththem,particularlythroughformalagreements.Theirknowledgeofthenaturalenvironmentcontributestoenvironmentalinventoriesandthedevelopmentofmitigationmeasures.
2009 H ighlights
Eastmain-1-A/S arcel le/Ruper t projec t(Nord- du- Q uébec)
› Weh-SeesIndohounCorporation,aCree–Hydro-Québecjointventure,overseessporthuntingandfishingbyworkersandotheruserstopromotewildlifeandecosystemconservationduringprojectconstruction.
› Twiceayear,theenvironmentalMonitoringCommitteetourssixCreecommunitiestomeetwithtallymenandlandusersdirectlyaffectedbytheproject.Duringthemeetings,otherCreecommunitymembersareinvitedtolearnabouttheprojectandenvironmentalfollow-upactivitiesbyattendingpublicmeetingsoropen-houseevents.
1
› ThequarterlyBoumhounan Newsletter wascirculatedandaradioreportwasbroadcasttoinformCreecommunitiesaboutprojectprogress.
› Wemetwith428studentsinfourCreecommunities(eastmain,Nemaska,WaskaganishandWemindji)affectedbythisprojecttoinformthemaboutthebenefitsofhydroelectricity,theenvironmentalimpactsandtheprotectivemeasuresplannedbyHydro-Québec.
Romainecomplex (Côte -Nord)
› CommitteeswerecreatedtoactasdiscussionandcollaborationforumswiththeInnu,andcarryoutenvironmentalstudiesandfollow-upattheRomaineComplex.
› TheNishipiminan Agreement 2009wassignedtoreconciletheinterestsofHydro-QuébecandtheekuanitshitInnu.Thisagreementprovidesfundingforeconomic,culturalandcommunitydevelopmentprojects,andwillenabletheInnutoparticipateinprojectconstructionandenvironmentalfollow-up,promotethepracticeoftraditionalactivitiesandmeettrainingneeds.
› AfundestablishedundertheagreementssignedwiththeInnucommunitieswillbeusedtopromotepracticeoftheInnuwayoflife(Innu Aitun).
Employmentandtraining
› 89employeesreceivedtrainingonHydro-Québec−Aboriginalrelations.› NinepermanentCreeemployeeswerehired,foratotalof41Crees
employedbyHydro-QuébecinBaie-James.
› Hydro-Québecpaid$90milliontoprocuregoodsandservicesfromAboriginalcompanies,organizationsandindependentworkers.WorkfortheSociétéd’énergiedelaBaieJameswasvaluedat$268million.
1
SOCI
AL
COM
MIT
MEN
T
100
75
50
25
0
06 07 08 09
Overallpublicsatisfaction(%)
Very and somewhat satisfied Very satisfied
91 91
31
92
36
93
36 35
FONDSRECYCFLUO
TheFédérationQuébécoisedesMunicipalitésandthecompany
PeinturesrécupéréesduQuébecreceiveda$100,000grant
fromHydro-QuébectoestablishtheFondsRecycFluo.Thegoal
ofthisinitiative—thefirstofitskindinCanada—istohelp
municipalitiesthatwanttoenableconsumerstorecyclecompact
fluorescentlightbulbs.AsatDecember 31,2009,159municipal
organizationsrepresenting389municipalitieshadtaken
advantageoftheserviceand15,722compactfluorescentshad
beenrecovered,diverting47,166 mgofmercuryfromlandfillsites.
Surveys were conducted by SOM. The sample consisted of 10,837 telephone interviews. Data were collected for 13 months from December 2008 to December 2009. The margin of error for the annual results is ± 1% (19 times out of 20).
InaugurationoftheTommy-Neeposhsceniclookout,inmemoryofthisfamilymanwhodiedin2008andwasatallymanonlandusedintheeastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupertproject.
27H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
I N T E G R AT E D E N H A N C E M E N T P R O G R A M
Inadditiontoharmonizingtransmissionfacilitieswiththeirsurroun-dings,Hydro-Québecearmarkspartoftheircostforhostcommunitydevelopmentascompensationforresidualimpacts.TheIntegratedenhancementprogram(Iep)providesfinancialsupportforvariouslocal initiatives involvingtheenvironment, landuseorregionaldevelopment.Sincethisprogramwasintroducedin1985,Hydro-Québechasinvested$103millionin1,029initiatives.www.hydroquebec.com/municipal/pmvi.html (Available in French only)
2009 H ighlights
› Wemindjisubstation:$142,747wascontributedtodevelopabaseballfieldinthemunicipalityofWemindji(Nord-du-Québec).› péribonka–Simard lineandSimardsubstation:$222,308was
contributedtobuildaseniors’ residence inthemunicipalityofSaint-Honoré(Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean).› Rimouski−LesBoulesline:$74,894wascontributedtothecityof
RimouskitorefurbishtheRivièreRimouskipier(Bas-Saint-Laurent).
W
SecondaryschoolstudentsworkinginBois-de-Liessenatureparkeradicatedeuropeanbuckthorn,ahighlyinvasiveshrubthatwasreplacedwithnativetreesandshrubs.ThisbiodiversityrestorationandenhancementprojectreceivedfundingfromtheFondationHydro-Québecpourl’environnement.
P U B L I C H E A LT H A N D S A F E T Y
Yearafteryear,Quebecersratesecurityatthecompany’sfacilitiesatthetopoftheirexpectationsforHydro-Québec. In2009,theimportanceofthisaspectwasrated9.38onascaleof10.publicsatisfactionwiththisitemwas7.7in2009,comparedto7.6in2008.
2009 H ighlights
› Asecurityawarenesscampaignthatinvitesemployeesandthepublictoreportanysituationthatposesarisktoemployeesafetyorthesecurityofthecompany’sassetsresultedin2,029callsin2009,comparedto1,741in2008.
› AmessagewasbroadcastonFrenchandenglishtelevisiontopromotesafetynearpowerlinesandanadcampaignonprecautionstotakewhenpruningtreeswascontinued.www.hydroquebec.com/security
FU N D I N GA N DFI N A N C I A LCO M M I T M E N T SU N D E RT H E I N T E G R AT E DE N H A N C E M E N TPR O G R A M
2006 2007 2008a 2009
Numberofinitiatives 11 24 8 26 Hydro-Québecfundingandcommitments($’000) 1,143.6 4,533.8 208.2 1,652.7 Communityfundingandcommitments($’000) 549.4 2,866.9 106.6 1,719.3
projectvalue($’000) 1,693.0 7,400.7 314.8 3,372.0
a) The2008figureswereadjustedtoincludeanagreementsignedin2008,butrecordedin2009,fora$29,384initiative.
Hydro-Québec’s annual funding and commitments vary depending on the number of transmission projects in progress. In 2009, nearly half of the IEp-eligible transmission projects involved connecting wind farms in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions to the main grid.
50
40
30
20
10
0
06 07 08 09
Electricity-relatedaccidentsamongthepublic(number)
Deaths Electrical accidents
Deaths–source:Bureauducoroner.
electricalaccidents–source:externaldatacompiledbyHydro-Québec.
33
31
50
31
6 4
7
3
27 27 43 28
28 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
LookoutbuiltwithfundingfromHydro-QuébecbytheregionalcountymunicipalityofArgenteuilonthesiteofCarillongeneratingstationintheoutaouaisregion.
CO M M I T M E N T SO FT H EFO N DAT I O NH Y D R O - Q U É B E CP O U RL’ E N V I R O N N E M E N T
2006 2007 2008 2009 Numberofprojectssupported 22 15 20 19
Numberofregionsinvolved 12 8 12 11
Totalamountofcommitments($’000) 1,009 1,493 1,302 1,021
S O C I A L , C U LT U R A L A N D H U M A N I TA R I A N CO M M I T M E N T
FondationH ydro - Q uébecpour l ’environnement
Sinceitbeganoperationin2001,theFondationHydro-Québecpourl’environnementhassupportedcommunitiesthatareimplementingpractical initiativestoprotect,restoreandenhancetheirnaturalsurroundingsinaspiritofsustainabledevelopment.
2009 H ighlights
› InconjunctionwiththecityofMontréal,aprojectwasdevelopedtorestoreandenhanceurbanbiodiversityonpartofMontRoyalandintheÎle-de-la-VisitationandBois-de-Liessenatureparks.Theseareaswerethreatenedbyanextremelyinvasivealienshrub,europeanbuck-thorn.Afterthisshrubwaseradicatedbytrainedsecondaryschoolstudents,nativetreesandshrubswereplantedtohelprestoreplantandanimalhabitats.Abuckthornmonitoringandfollow-upsystemhasbeenestablishedandawarenessactivitieswereconductedtoexplaintheimpactofinvasiveplantsonnaturalenvironmentstousersofthethreeparks.TheFoundationcontributed$121,300.www.hydroquebec.com/fondation-environnement/en/index.html
F U N D I N G F O R O R G A N I Z AT I O N S A N D T H E A R T S
Hydro-Québec’seffortsgobeyondharmonious integrationofitsoperations: itactivelycontributestovariousaspectsofsocial,culturalandcommunity life. In2009,thecompanyrevieweditsdonationandsponsorshippolicyinordertotakeitsstakeholders’expectationsintoaccount.
2009 H ighlights
› Donationsandsponsorshipstosupportorganizationsandprojectsamountedto$22.5million,including$3.2millionfortheUnitedWay/Centraidecampaign,inadditiontothe$3.0millioncontributedbycompanyemployeesandpensioners.
› Hydro-Québec’sartcollectionsupportstalentedQuébecartistsworkinginvariousmedia.Thecollectionacquired27newworksofartandisdisplayedinrecentlyrenovatedareasofthecompany’sheadofficebuilding.
Youthawareness
Formanyyears,Hydro-Québechasofferedteachersatallelementaryandsecondaryschool levelsvarioustoolstohelpthemeducatechildrenaboutelectricityandhowtobehavesafelyaroundit.www.hydroquebec.com/teachers
2009 H ighlights
› Aneducationalkit,Les Zénergétics – À la découverte de l’énergie et de l’environnement,wasdistributedtoover47,000childrenage10to12.
› TheEnvirovoltgamekitwasdistributedtomorethan3,000childrenage9to12.
› The00Watt ClassroomToolkitwasgivento19,000childrenage10to12.
W
Breakdownofdonations Breakdownofsponsorshipsa
a) excludesfundingbytheFondationHydro-Québecpourl’environnement.
45% Social and humanitarian aid, including United Way/Centraide
28% Education27% Health
4% Science19% Socioeconomic
partners12% Sports
3% Environment and sustainable development
62% Culture
SOCI
AL
COM
MIT
MEN
T
29H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Hydro-Québec’sfundamentalreasonforbeingistoprovideahigh-quality
productandservicessuitedtoitsvariousclienteles.Thecompanystrivesto
fulfillitsmissionwithstable,competitiverates,fairtreatmentforitscustomers
andasecure,reasonablereturntoitsshareholder.
Theglobaleconomicrecessioncontinuedin2009,affectingallofthecompany’s
customerstovaryingdegrees.Duringtheyear,Hydro-Québecproposedmeasures
totheRégiedel’énergietosupportcertaincustomercategoriesthatareexpe-
riencingfinancialdifficulty.Electricityisanessentialservice,sothecompanypaid
specialattentiontolow-incomehouseholdswhoseelectricitybillaccountsfora
substantialportionofthefamilybudget.
C U S TO M E R E X P E C TAT I O N S A N D S AT I S FAC T I O N
Inaconstantlychangingmarket,Hydro-Québecusesvarioustoolstodeterminecustomerexpectationsanddetectanyshiftsinthoseexpectations,identifystepstotaketomaintainorboostcustomersatisfaction,andmeasureitsongoingprogress.
Withregardtoourproduct—electricitydelivery—customers’basicexpectationsrelatetosecurity, reliability,metering,meterreading,theenvironmentandfuturesupply.Service-relatedexpectationsfocusonprice,telephoneresponse,billing,respect,fairnessandenergyefficiencyprograms.
Tomaintainanaveragetelephone-responsetimecomparabletotheNorthAmericanindustryaverage,Hydro-Québecisenhancingitsinteractiveservicesandcontinuingtooptimizeitsoperationstoimprovethecustomerexperienceandfacilitateproblemsolvingwiththefirstcall.
H IGH-QUALIT Y, CUSToMeR-DRIVeNSeR VICe
Hydro-Québecparticipatesinanumberofevents,suchasenergy-efficiencyinitiatives,toinformthepublicaboutitsservices.
30 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
R E S I D E N T I A L C U S TO M E R S
Toimproveservicesforlow-incomecustomers,Hydro-Québecworkscloselywithconsumerassociations.Aworkinggroupsetupin2000experimentswithnewapproachesandsuggestsmoresuitableservices.Itwasinstrumentalinthedevelopmentandintroductionoflong-termpaymentarrangementscustomizedtocustomers’abilitytopay.Adedicatedtelephonelineenablesconsumerassociationsandelectedrepresentatives’officestosubmitcasesofcustomersinveryprecarioussituationssothatpaymentarrangementscanbetailoredtosuittheircircumstances.
2009 H ighlights
› Improvedaccesstoourcustomerservicesreducedtheaveragetelephone-responsetimeto190secondsfrom379in2008.
› 32,107paymentarrangementswerereachedwithlow-incomecustomersforatotalof$189million.ofthese,3,491arrangementstargeteddebtreductionand,whennecessary,loweredthecurrentpaymentforenergyconsumption.› Forresidentialcustomersoverall,paymentarrangementshelped
tosettle257,287overdueaccountstotaling$515million.› 9,559complaintsandclaimswererecordedanddealtwith
in2009(12,826in2008);219appealswerefiledwiththeRégiedel’énergie.
› Serviceagreementsweremaintainedwithorganizationsthathelpnewimmigrantswithpaymentdifficulties,intheirownlanguage.
› over82,000customerschosetoreceiveonlinebills:atotalof3,149,713billswerenotprintedbyHydro-Québecthisyear.
4
› TheTimeItRightpilotprojectcontinuedwith2,200residentialcustomersinSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu,Sept-Îles,Val-d’orandTrois-Rivièrestodeterminewhetherarateoptionbasedontime-of-dayandseason-of-useencouragescustomerstoshiftsomeoftheirconsumptiontolow-demandperiods.Thepreliminaryresultsshowthatparticipantsrealizemodestgains.
B U S I N E S S A N D L A R G E - P O W E R C U S TO M E R S
Industrial,commercialandinstitutionalcustomerswithapowerdemandof5MWormoreconsume38%oftheelectricitydeliveredinQuébec.
Hydro-Québecusesvariousmeasurestopersonalizerelationswithmajorcustomers,suchasdesignatingaspecificcommercialofficertohandletheiraccounts.
2009 H ighlights
› TheQuébecgovernmentauthorizedHydro-Québectoenterintospecialagreementswithindustrialcustomers(powerconsumptiongreaterthan50MW)affectedbytherecession.Thismeasureresultedinsavingsof$21millionforthesecustomersduringtheyear.
› Hydro-QuébecaskedtheRégiedel’énergieforauthorizationtocreateanaccountfordeferredexpensestofacilitatetheapplicationoftheLoadRetentionRatedesignedforRateLcustomersexperiencingfinancialdifficulties.Tobeeligible,customersmustdemonstrate,amongotherthings,thattheyobtainednonrefundabledeductionsfromtheirothersuppliersorpartnersandthatstepswillbetakentoimprovetheirprofitability.
HIG
H-Q
UA
LITY
, CU
STO
MER
-DRI
VEN
SER
VICE
35,000
28,000
21,000
14,000
7,000
0
07 08 09 10 11 12
Agreementsforlow-incomecustomers(number)
4
Number of agreements Target
2009 was a difficult year for the economy and consequently, collections activities increased.
22,6
70
21,9
09
32,1
07
22,2
00
23,8
00
24,7
00
24,8
00
SATISFACTIONINDEXES(SCALeoF10)
› ResidentialCustomers:7.39
› CommercialandAgriculturalCustomers:7.38
› BusinessCustomers:7.40
› Large-PowerCustomers:9.21
operatorSylvainSincernyattheSaint-Jérômedistributioncontrolcentreobtainsfastaccesstosystemstatusandkeepstrackoftheavailableoperatingmarginatalltimesinordertodetectreal-timerisks.Themaingoalisgoodcustomerservice.
31H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
Acompany’seconomic,environmentalandsocialperformancedependsfirst
andforemostonhavingwell-qualified,dedicatedemployees.Theday-to-day
activitiesofthepeopleintheworkforcemakeasignificantdifference.Toensure
thatitsemployeesdotherightthingspontaneouslyandenthusiastically,Hydro-
Québecfosterstheirawareness,motivationandskillsdevelopment.
Thecompany’scommitmenttosustainabledevelopmentisamajorassetfor
recruitingandretaininghumanresources,giventhelaborshortagethatthe
powerindustryisfacingbecauseofthemanyexperiencedworkerswhoare
retiring.1
E M P LOY E E M OT I VAT I O N A N D S AT I S FAC T I O N
ListeningtoitsemployeesenablesHydro-Québectoadapttotheexpectationsofthenewgenerationsofrecenthires.Forinstance,youngemployeeshaveverydifferentexpectationsfrombabyboomers.Independenceandinnovationareimportanttothem,asareanimprovingwork/familybalanceandsincererecognitionofpersonalcontributions.
1. electricitySectorCouncil.
HUMANReSoURCeS DeVeLopMeNT
TechniciansCarlCyrandRobertDuboisworksidebysideinthetelecommunicationscontrolcentre.Theobjectiveisknowledgetransfer.
32 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
2009 H ighlights
› Newhiresratedtheirsatisfactionwithemployeeinductionandintegrationproceduresat8.4outof10,thesameresultasintheprevioustwoyears.Inductionandintegrationofnewemployeesarekeyfactorsinensuringworkforcerenewalandemployeeloyalty.
› Morethan550employeesparticipatedinharassmentpreventiontrainingofferedbyHydro-Québecandthetradeunion(SCFp1500).Atleast350managershavebeentrainedinharassmentprevention.
› TheMérite de l’environnement et du développement durable contestrecognizesemployeesfortheiroutstandingactionsoraccomplish-ments.In2009,nineprojectswererewarded;amongthem,projectManagerBernardCyrwasrecognizedforhisworkonrehabilitationofthesmallhydroelectricgeneratingstationinSault-Mathurine,Haiti.
S K I L L S D E V E LO P M E N T A N D S U CC E S S I O N P L A N N I N G
Giventhefasterpaceofretirementsandtheintensifieddemandforskilledworkers,Hydro-Québechasdeployedaseriesofmeasurestomaintainaskilledandcompetentworkforceanditsknow-how.Internshipsprovideawaytorenewskills.ThecompanythereforeintendstocontinuefundingfortheInstituteofelectricalpowerengineering(Iepe),giveitsinternshipprogramquantitativeannualtargets,makediversityanintegralpartofHydro-Québec’ssuccessionmanagementstrategiesandpreparefuturemanagersforvariousmanagementlevels.
2009 H ighlights
› Fundingof$2millionwasgrantedtotheIepefor2009–2013and52studentsreceivedscholarshipsandtravelfunding.Atotalof125IepegraduateswererecruitedbyHydro-Québecbetween2002and2009(18in2009).› Annual internalsurvey:72%ofemployeessaidtheyhadan
excellentorgoodunderstandingoftheconceptofsustainability,comparedto58%in2006.Inaddition,81%ofemployeesconsiderthattheirworkcontributestosustainabledevelopment.
› employeetrainingprogramfundingwas3.9%ofthepayroll.› Thepercentageofemployeeswithspecificsustainabledevelop-
menttrainingortrainingthat includessustainabledevelopmentwas10.5%asatDecember31,2009.› Therewere241universityinternshipsin2009,versus163in2008
(excludingIepe).Inasurvey,79%ofinternssaidtheyhopedtoapplyforajoboranotherinternshipatHydro-Québec.Theirsatisfactionwiththeiroverallinternshipcontentwas8.6outof10.
O CC U PAT I O N A L H E A LT H A N D S A F E T Y
Hydro-Québechasitsemployees’well-beingatheart,andwillcon-tinuetoprovideahealthyandsafeworkenvironment.
2009 H ighlights
› 10,715employeesparticipatedinworkplacehealthandsafetytrainingorawarenessandhealthpromotionactivities.
› Inoccupationalsafety,therewerenoemployeefatalitiesonthejob.Regretfully,threeemployeesofcontractorsdiedonconstructionsites.
› Aconfidentialemployeeassistanceserviceisavailablefreeofchargeand isprovidedbyexperiencedprofessionalswhoarealwaysavailableanywhereinQuébec.In2009,theusagerateforthisprogramfellslightlycomparedto2008,from7.88%to7.64%.
› earlyintheyear,theemergencybiohazardresponseplaninsti-tutedbyHydro-QuébecwasrolledouttoensureservicecontinuityintheeventofaninfluenzaA(H1N1)pandemic.
8
8
8.5
8.0
7.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
06 07 08 09
Employeemotivationandsatisfaction(scaleof10)
Satisfaction index Employee motivation
and satisfaction
In 2009, 15,052 participants representative of the job groups and units were surveyed, mostly by e-mail.
8.46
6.92
8.39
6.93
8.42
6.87
8.42
6.94
3.5
3.0
2.5
06 07 08 09
Work-relatedaccidentfrequencya
In 2008, the frequency for all injury categories combined for corporate members of the Canadian Electricity Association was 2.88.
3.33
3.24 3.
29
2.83
H Y D R O - Q U É B E CWO R K FO R C E
2006 2007 2008 2009 permanentworkforce(number) 19,116 19,459 19,297 19,536
Averageage 45.8 45.7 45.6 45.4
permanentemployeeseligibleforretirement(number) 2,845 2,860 2,835 3,036
Retirements(number) 664 758 896 1,072
Newhires(number) 1,360 1,151 1,252 1,844
percentageofnewemployeesunderage35(%) 64 67 66 70
Targetgrouprepresentation(%)
Women
Aboriginals
ethnicminorities
Visibleminorities
peoplewithdisabilities
30.6
0.7
1.0
1.8
1.6
31.3
0.7
1.0
1.9
1.5
30.9
0.7
1.0
2.0
1.4
30.6
0.8
1.0
2.2
1.3
HU
MA
N R
ESO
URC
ES
DEV
ELO
pMEN
T
a) (Lost time + Medical assistance) X 200,000
Hours worked
33H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
TheelectricityindustryisofcapitalimportanceinQuébec.Intheforefrontofthe
province’sindustry,itseconomicimpactistwicethatofagricultureandforestry,
pulpandpaperoraeronautics,andeighttimesgreaterthantheminingindustry.1
ThevitalityofQuébec’selectricityindustryislargelyfoundedonHydro-Québec’s
operations,whichcontributeanestimated3%totheprovince’sgrossdomestic
product.Thecompany’sprocurementpolicypromotesacquisitionofQuébec
goodsandservices,atthebestpossiblecostandincompliancewithstrict
procurementcriteria.
E CO N O M I C S P I N O F F S
Inresponsetotheseverityofthefinancialcrisisandtheresultingeconomicslowdown,manycountriesdecidedtoinvestininfrastructureprojectstostimulatetheireconomies.InQuébec,majorpowergenerationandtransmissionprojectsannouncedbeforetherecessionaregeneratingconsiderableeconomicspinoffsthroughouttheprovince.
Forexample,weestimatethatinvestmentsof$4billionto$5billionperyearwillbemadefrom2009to2013.Theseinvestmentsincludegeneratingfleetexpansionandrefurbishment,transmissionanddistributionsystemdevelopment,maintenanceandimprovement,andinvestmentsundertheenergyefficiencyplan.Inall,from2009to2013,Hydro-Québec’sbusiness,includingtheseinvestments,aswellasoperatingcostsandpurchasesfromprivateproducers,willrepresentabout271,400person-yearsindirectandindirectjobs.
1. InstitutdelastatistiqueduQuébec.
CoNTRIBUTIoN ToTHeQUÉBeCeCoNoMY
In2009,Hydro-Québecworkedonover1,000projects,including800inthetransmissionsector,liketheChénier−outaouaislineproject.Thisvolumeofactivityrepresents$2.7billion.
34 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
2009 H ighlights
› Anagreementtomaximizetheregionaleconomicspinoffsoftheeastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/RupertprojectwassignedwithComaxNord.Todate,over$188millionhasbeendisbursedtocontractorsandworkers intheNord-du-Québecregion, including$40millionin2009.Acontractclausemotivatinggeneralcontractorstoconsiderlocalsubcontractinggeneratedone-thirdofthespinoffs.
www.comaxnord.com (Available in French only)
› AspartoftheRomaineproject,aregionaleconomicspinoffcommitteewassetuptopromoteparticipationbyCôte-Nordcom-paniesandworkers,includingtheInnuofekuanitshit,Nutashkuan,UnamenShipuandpakuaShipi.Businesspracticeswereintroducedtoencouragelocalsubcontracting,tendercallsreservedforlocalcompaniesandcontractsnegotiateddirectlywithInnubusinesses.
› IncollaborationwiththeComitédemaximisationdesretombéeséconomiquesrégionalesdesgrandsprojetsduSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean,theregionaleconomicspinoffoptimizationcommittee,encouragingresultswereachieved:42.8%inregionaleconomicspinoffsand80%localhiringforthepéribonkaproject,34%inregionaleconomicspinoffsfortheChute-AllardandRapides-des-Cœursprojectand,asatDecember31,2009,over$349millioninlocalcontractsandpurchasesfortheeastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupertproject.
1
W
1
1
S H A R I N G O U R E X P E R T I S E
ontheinternationalscene,Hydro-Québecmaintainscloserelationswithanumberoflargeorganizationstocontributetoknowledgedevelopmentandforgebusinesspartnerships.
2009 H ighlights
› Aspartofaresearchprojectongreenhousegases(GHGs)coor-dinatedbyUNeSCoandtheInternationalHydropowerAssociation,Hydro-QuébecorganizedaworkshoponmethodsformeasuringGHGemissionsfromreservoirs.Theworkshopattractedspecialistsfrom10countries.
› Hydro-Québecheadedupaworkinggroupofe8expertstoshareexperiences,knowledgeandthebesttechnical,commercialandregulatorypracticesontheuseofelectricvehicles.
› Hydro-Québechostedthe2009conferenceoftheAssociationquébécoisedelagestiondelavégétationtopromotetheexchangeofinformationbetweenvariousvegetation-controlspecialists.Thecompanywasabletosharetheproceduresitinstitutedfollowingvegetation-relatedoutagesonitstransmissionsystemin2008and2009.Scholarshipswerealsoawardedtouniversitystudents.
S U P P O R T I N G U N I V E R S I T I E S
Byprovidingfundingforuniversities, includingresearchchairs,Hydro-Québecfostersstudentexcellence,furtherstheadvancementofknowledgeinscienceandtechnology,encouragesuniversityexpertiseandparticipatesintrainingahighlyqualified,promisingworkforce.
CON
TRIB
UTI
ON
TO
TH
E Q
UÉB
EC E
CON
OM
Y
CO N T R I B U T I O N S , CO M M I T M E N T S , C H A I RE N D OWM E N T SA N DR E S E A R C HCO N T R AC T S ($’0 0 0)
2006 2007 2008 2009 8,927.5 8,380.3 8,892.5 9,599.5
Hydro-Québecisafoundingmemberoftheouranosconsortium,createdin2001tostudyregionalclimatologyandadaptationtoclimatechange.Theconsortiumbringstogethersome250expertsfromQuébec,therestofCanadaandabroad,includinganumberofscientistsfromourresearchinstitute,IReQ.InMarch2009,thecompanyreneweditscooperationagreementwithouranosforfiveyears.
TheShandongelectricpowerResearchInstitutepurchasedthemarketingandindustrialdevelopmentrightsforourLineRoVerrobottoproduce,sellormodifythistechnology,whichhasmanymaintenanceapplications.
35H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
I N D U S T R I A L TO U R I S M
AwareoftheinterestthatitsfacilitieshavefortouristsfromQuébecandelsewhere,Hydro-Québecopensitsdoorstovisitorsin11regions.High-qualityvisitorinfrastructuresstimulateregionaltourism.
F I N A N C I A L R E S U LT S
In2009,Hydro-Québecpostedverygoodfinancialresultsdespiteadifficulteconomy.
› Incomefromcontinuingoperationsrose$23millionto$3,035million,anewrecord.Netincomewasalso$3,035million.
› electricitysalestotaled$12,055million,down$309million.Saleswere$10,549millioninQuébecand$1,506millionoutsideQuébec.
› Netexportsaccountedfor10%ofsalesvolumeandgenerated22%ofnetincome.
› Dividendsdeclaredtoourshareholderwere$2,168million.Divi-dendsfor2006to2009totaled$8,857million.
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
06 07 08 09
15,000
12,000
9,000
6,000
3,000
0
06 07 08 09
Incomefromcontinuingoperations($M)
Revenuefromelectricitysales($M)
Revenue from electricity sales outside Québec
Revenue from electricity sales in Québec
2,79
7
2,88
2
3,01
2
3,03
5
10,5
51 11,9
85
12,3
64
12,0
55
1,149 1,6
17
1,919
1,506
9,40
2
10,3
68
10,4
45
10,5
49
H Y D R O - Q U É B E C ’ S CO N T R I B U T I O NTOT H EQ U É B E CE CO N O MY
2006 2007 2008 2009
Capitaltax($M) 261 278 202 132a
publicutilitiestax($M) 230 240 302 188
Water-powerroyalties($M) notapplicable 263 546 567
Municipal,schoolandothertaxes($M) 36 35 37 35
procurementofgoodsandservices(insideandoutsideQuébec)($M)b 2,673 2,586 2,660 2,925
percentageofgoodsandservicesprocuredfromQuébeccompanies 92 94 89 87
Directjobssustainedbyprocurement,includingprocurementoutsideQuébec(person-years) 14,000 13,000 11,462 12,333
a) Thelowercapitaltaxistheresultofthelowertaxrate:0.24%in2009,versus0.36%in2008. b) excludesprocurementbySociétéd’énergiedelaBaieJames.
N U M B E RO FV I S I TO R STOH Y D R O - Q U É B E CFAC I L I T I E S
2006 2007 2008 2009
Facilitiesforthegeneralpublica 60,071 60,852 62,303 66,112
Facilitiesforthegeneralpublicoperatedaspartnershipsb 83,176 80,425 70,051 72,799
Researchanddevelopmentfacilitiesc 5,157 6,266 3,234 3,038
Total 148,404 147,543 135,588 141,949
a) Facilitiesthatthegeneralpubliccanvisitfreeofcharge. b)Sitesmanagedinpartnershipthatareopentothegeneralpublicbutchargeanentrancefee.
c) Sitesthathavenotourisminfrastructureorstaffandarenotopentothegeneralpublic(examplesareHydro-Québec’sresearchinstitute,IReQ,anditsenergytechnologieslaboratory,LTe).
everyyear,over100,000peoplevisitHydro-Québecfacilitiesandotherlocationsoperatedaspartnerships.Carillongeneratingstationisoneofthefacilitiesthatthegeneralpubliccanvisitfreeofcharge.
36 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
MA J o R FA C I L I T I e S
La Citière
40°
Baie James(James Bay)
Baie d’Hudson
(Hudson Bay)
(St. Lawrence River)
Romaine-2
1927 Privy Council border
(not final)
Îles de laMadeleine
Île d’Anticosti
Generating station rated 300 MW or more
Hydro
Nuclear
Thermal
Other facilities
Generatingstationunderconstruction
plannedgeneratingstation
735-kVsubstation
735-kVline
450-kVdirect-currentline
Interconnection
Neighboringsystemfacility
HY D RO - QU É B ECG E N E R AT I N GFACI LIT I E S–20 0 9
Facilities Number MW Netoutput(GWh)b Hydroelectricgeneratingstationsa 60 34,499 162,766 97.6%
Nuclearpowerplant 1 675 3,596 2.2%
Thermalpowerplantsa 27 1,634 446 0.3%
Windfarm 1 2 0 0%
Total 89 36,810 166,809 100%
a) onehydroelectricgeneratingstationand23ofthe27thermalpowerplantsarenotconnectedtothemainHydro-Québecgrid.
b) overalltotalandsumofsubtotalsdifferduetorounding.
Hydro-QuébecalsohasaccesstoalmostalltheoutputfromChurchillFallsgeneratingstation(5,428MW).
37H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
G Lo B A L R e p o R T I N GI N I T I AT I V e ( G R I ) I N D e X
a) Disclosurenumberinbold:coreindicatorDisclosurenumberinregulartype:additionalindicator
AllGlobalReportingInitiativeperformanceindicators, includingthenewelectricUtilitySectorSupplement,aredealtwithfullyontheHydro-QuébecWebsiteat:www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/gri
ThefollowinglistshowstheindicatorsthatarecoveredintheSustainability Report 2009.
DisclosureNumbera G3Indicator Page
ECONOMIC pERFORMANCE INDICATORS
EC1 Economic value generated and distributed 36, 39
EC2 Climate change 7, 12-14
EC6 procurement from local suppliers 34-36, 39
EC7 Local hiring 27, 35
EC8 Infrastructure investments that benefit local communities 28
EC9 Indirect economic impacts 15-17, 28-29, 34-36, 39
ENVIRONMENTAL pERFORMANCE INDICATORS
EN1 Materials used by weight or volume 23
EN2 Use of recycled materials 23
EN4 Indirect energy consumption 14
EN5 Internal energy efficiency 12
EN6 Energy efficiency of products and services 12
EN7 Reduction of indirect energy consumption 22, 24
EN11 Land near biodiversity areas 15-17, 22
EN12 Description of impacts on biodiversity 15-17, 22
EN13 Habitats protected or restored 15-17, 22
EN14 Management of impacts on biodiversity 15-17, 22
EN16 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 19, 39
EN17 Other relevant GHG emissions 19
EN18 Initiatives to reduce GHG emissions 19-21, 23-24
EN20 Emissions of NOx, SO2 and other pollutants 19
EN22 Total quantity of waste 23
EN23 Number and volume of spills 39
EN26 Environmental impact management 19-24
EN28 Non-compliance with environmental regulation 21, 39
EN29 Environmental impacts of transportation 22, 24
SOCIAL pERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Labor practices and Decent Work
LA1 Total workforce 33, 39
LA6 Joint health and safety committees 33
LA7 Work-related injuries, diseases and absenteeism 33
LA8 Assistance with serious diseases 33
LA10 Training 33
LA11 Skills development and training 33
LA13 Diversity and equal opportunity 33
Society
SO1 Management of impacts on communities 24-29
product / Service Responsibility
PR1 Life-cycle analysis for health and safety of products/services 28
pR5 Measurement of customer satisfaction 31
pR8 Customer privacy 4
DisclosureNumbera G3Indicator Page
ELEC TRIC UTILIT Y SEC TOR SUppLEMENT
Company profile
EU1 Installed capacity 37
EU2 Net energy output 37
Economy – Management Approach
EU7 Demand-side management programs 11-12
EU8 Research and development activity and expenditure 12, 14, 20, 22
Social – Society – Management Approach
EU19 Stakeholder participation in decision-making process 25-26
Social – product Responsibility – Management Approach
EU23 Access to electricity and customer support services 30-31
EU24 practices to address language and cultural barriers 31
Social – product Responsibility – performance Indicator
EU25 Injuries and fatalities involving company assets 28
38 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
o U R p e R F o R MA N C e AT A G L A N C e
2006 2007 2008 2009
ENVIRONMENT
Net electricity generated by Hydro-Québec (GWh) 150,552 162,062 164,678 166,809
Total net electricity generated and purchased (GWh) 196,236 208,156 206,603 203,181
Renewable energy/Total energy generated and purchased (%) 94 93 97 97
Atmospheric emissions of CO2 from thermal electricity generation (tonnes) 215,243 245,832 233,054 390,077
Atmospheric emissions of SO2 from thermal electricity generation (tonnes) 979 1,150 1,154 1,959
Atmospheric emissions of NOx from thermal electricity generation (tonnes) 5,917 6,205 6,132 6,710
Atmospheric emissions of CO2 from the vehicle fleet (tonnes) 56,683 54,082 54,426 55,016
production of low- and medium-activity radioactive waste (m³/reactor) 40 16 39 90
Energy Efficiency plan: energy savings (result/target) (GWh) 740/523 900/661 1,050/745 912/985
Employees governed by an environmental management system (number) 18,292 18,469 18,228 18,757Environmental non-compliance notices (number) 17 32 31 20
Spills reported to the authorities (number) 574 624 583 529
Insulating oil recovered (thousands of litres)/Internal reuse (%) 4,748/94.5 4,367/91.4 2,989/92.7 4,575/88.4
Area of transmission-line rights-of-way treated mechanically (%) 72.1 76.3 79.3 72.6
Area of dikes and dams treated mechanically (%) 44.7 48.0 40.3 50.7
New underground hookups (%) 25 28 30 32
SOCIAL
public satisfaction index (very and somewhat satisfied) (%) 91 92 93 91
Contracts and procurement − spinoffs for Aboriginals ($M) 156 237 310 358
Funding and financial commitments under the Integrated Enhancement program ($M) 1.1 4.5 0.2 1.7
Fondation Hydro-Québec pour l’environnement ($’000)/projects funded (number) 1,009/22 1,493/15 1,302/20 1,021/19
Donations and sponsorships ($M)a 23.0 24.7 25.9 22.5
Overall customer satisfaction index − other than Large-power Customers (scale of 10) 7.25 7.39 7.42 7.39Special payment arrangements for low-income customers (number) 22,475 22,670 21,909 32,107
Customer complaints and claims (number) 12,862 10,884 12,826 9,559
permanent workforce as at December 31 19,116 19,459 19,297 19,536
Temporary workforce (annual average) 3,799 3,910 4,048 4,080
Work-related accident frequencyb 3.33 3.24 3.29 2.83
Employee motivation and satisfaction (scale of 10) 6.94 6.92 6.87 6.93
percentage of payroll invested in training 3.9 4.2 4.0 3.9
ECONOMY
Electricity sales in Québec (TWh) 167.3 173.2 170.4 165.3
Revenue from electricity sales inside and outside Québec ($M) 10,551 11,985 12,364 12,055
Income from continuing operations ($M) 2,797 2,882 3,012 3,035
Net income ($M) 3,741 2,907 3,141 3,035
Dividends declared ($M) 2,342 2,095 2,252 2,168
Total procurement of goods and services ($M)/Québec only (%) 2,673/92 2,586/94 2,660/89 2,925/87
Direct jobs sustained by all procurement, including purchases outside Québec (person-years)c 14,000 13,000 11,462 12,333
Capital tax ($M) 261 278 202 132
Municipal, school and other taxes ($M) 36 35 37 35
public utilities tax ($M) 230 240 302 188
Funding for universities − contributions, chair endowments and research contracts ($M) 8.9 8.4 8.9 9.6
a) IncludesHydro-Québec’sdonationtoUnitedWay/Centraide.
b) (Losttime+medicalassistance)x200,000/Hoursworked.
c) excludesprocurementbySociétéd’énergiedelaBaieJames.
39H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
G Lo S S A R Y
biomassorganicmattercomposedofliveplantmatter,farm,forestorurbanwaste,ororganicwastefromwatertreatmentorpurificationplants;itisausableenergysourcelikewater,sunandwind.
CF₄(tetrafluoromethane)Syntheticchemicalcompoundandpotentgreenhousegasthatremainsintheatmosphereforalongtime.
CO2(carbondioxide)The principal greenhouse gas, mostly generated by fossil fuelcombustion.
cogenerationMethodofsimultaneouslyproducingelectricityandusefulther-malenergy(steam,hotwater)fromafuel(coal,naturalgas,biogas,biomass).
environmentalimpactassessmentStudythatpredicts,describes,organizesandevaluatesthephy-sical,chemical,biological,aesthetic,socialandculturaleffectsofaconstructionproject,andproposesmeasurestomitigatetheseeffects.
environmentalsiteassessmentprocessofdeterminingwhetherasiteneedstobedecontaminated,howthedecontaminationshouldbedoneandtheprobablecostoftheoperation.
halocarbonSyntheticchemicalcompoundthatisusedindomesticappliancesasarefrigerantandisanozone-depletingsubstanceandgreenhousegas.
herbicideChemicalorbiologicalproductthatdestroysvegetationorinhibitsitsgrowth.
Innu Aitun ActivitiesrelatingtotheInnuculture,basicvaluesandtraditionalwayoflife,andtiedtotheoccupationanduseofancestrallands(Nitassinan);thesepracticesinvolvetheuseofanimalandplantspeciesandminerals,aswellaswaterandothernaturalsubstances.
naturalattenuationNaturalprocesses(chemical,physical,biological)thatreducepol-lutantconcentrationsinsoilandgroundwater.
NOx(nitrogenoxides)Chemicalcompoundsthatcontributetotheformationofsmogandacidicdeposits.
publichearingSessionoftheBureaud’audiencespubliquessurl’environnement(BApe),opentothepublic,thatisorderedbytheMinisteroftheenvironmentorbytheBApeitselforrequestedbyaperson,groupormunicipality,involvingadevelopmentprojectwithintheterritorygovernedbyChapterIoftheEnvironment Quality Act.
publicinvolvementparticipationbythepublic,asastakeholder,inprojectdevelopmentandpublicdecisionmakingthathaveanimpactonhealth,lifestyleortheenvironment.
right-of-wayStripoflandusedforinstallation,operation,maintenanceandpro-tectionofoneormorepowerlines.
SF₆(sulphurhexafluoride)Chemicalcompoundwidelyusedinheavyindustrytoinsulatehigh-voltageequipment;itisapowerfulgreenhousegas.
sitecharacterizationInvestigationofcontaminatedenvironmentstoidentifythetypesofcontaminantsandtheextentofcontamination,estimatepotentialimpactsanddetermineremedialmeasures.
siterehabilitation,siteremediationoperationsperformedonacontaminatedsitetomakeitfitforfutureuse.
SO2(sulphurdioxide)Chemicalcompoundthatcontributestotheformationofacidicdeposits.
stakeholderGrouporindividualthathasamoreorlessdirectinterestinthelifeofanorganizationorislikelytobeaffectedbytheorganization’sdecisions.
tallymanTrapperwhosupervisesothertrappersandwhoseprimaryrespon-sibilityismanaginganimalpopulationswithinthetrapline.
weirLowdamorwallbuiltacrossarivertoregulatewaterlevel.
windrowHeaped,uniform-widthrowofwooddebrisfromloggingorclearingoperations.
40 H Y D R O - Q U É B E C | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y R E p O R T 2009
U N I T S O F M E A S U R E
$M : millions of dollars$B : billions of dollarsV : volt (a unit for measuring voltage)kV : kilovolt (one thousand volts)W : watt (a unit for measuring power)kW : kilowatt (one thousand watts)MW : megawatt (one million watts)GW : gigawatt (one million kilowatts)
Wh : watthour (a unit for measuring electric energy)kWh : kilowatthour (one thousand watthours)MWh : megawatthour (one million watthours)GWh : gigawatthour (one million kilowatthours)TWh : terawatthour (one billion kilowatthours)
kg : kilogrammg : milligramt : tonne (metric ton)t CO2 eq. : tonne of CO2 equivalent
The following documents may be obtained from our Web site www.hydroquebec.comor by calling 1 800 ÉNERGIE (363-7443):
Sustainability Report 2009(this document)
Annual Report 2009
Profil régional des activités d’Hydro-Québec – 2009
Financial Profile 2009–2010
© Hydro-Québec Affaires corporatives et secrétariat général
Reproduction authorized with acknowledgment of source
Legal deposit – 2nd quarter 2010Library and Archives CanadaBibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec ISBN 978-2-550-58104-8ISBN 978-2-550-58105-5 (pDF)
2009G312A
Ce document est également publié en français.
To H y d r o - Q u é b e c M a n a g e m e n t ,
Intertek has been commissioned to carry out an independent verification of the validity of certain information in Hydro-Québec’s Sustainability Report 2009, which covers the period from January 1st to December 31st, 2009.
M a n d a t e
Our responsibility consists in expressing an opinion on the accuracy of selected quantitative data, which are identified with an appropriate sign. In that regard, we have substantiated the origin, the collection process and the exactitude of these data. The report and the results of environmental, social and economic performance remain the sole responsibility of Hydro-Québec.
M e t h o d o l o g y
We carried out our verification and review in accordance with standard ISAE 3000. Consequently, our work was planned and performed in such manner as to provide reasonable or moderate assurance regarding the quantitative performance indicators selected. Since this is a combined certification mandate, our opinions are given separately.
The verification process included a risk analysis and sampling method, interviews with staff responsible for the information, analysis of the information selected, corroboration of supporting documents and other procedures deemed necessary.
The review proces included collection of information, analytical processes, review of the controls used and discussions about the data submitted.
O p i n i o n
Ve r i f i c at i o n
In our opinion, the selected quantitative data identified in the Sustainability Report 2009 with the symbol are accurate in all material respects, according to the relevant criteria.
R ev i ew
Upon completion of our work, we had no reason to believe that the selected quantitative data identified in the Sustainability Report 2009 with the symbol are not presented, in all material respects, according to the relevant criteria.
Calin Moldoveanpresident, System CertificationIntertek Testing Services NA Ltd.March 22, 2010
TOCOMM ENTO NTHISR EPO R T
w w w. hydro queb e c .com/sust ainable - development
VE R IFIC ATION STATE ME NT
www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development
2009
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