Wedoany.com Report-Jun 27, GE Vernova has been contracted by Rio Tinto to modernize eight turbine-alternator units at the Isle Maligne hydropower plant in Quebec’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Announced in 2025, this project will enhance the facility’s efficiency, supporting Rio Tinto’s five low-carbon aluminum smelters in the area, where the company is a major private hydroelectricity producer in Canada.

Hydro power turbine at Sorel Tracy facility

The Isle Maligne plant, nearly a century old, houses twelve Francis hydropower units. Following the successful modernization of one generator in 2024, Rio Tinto decided to upgrade the remaining eight units, with work starting in 2026 and concluding by 2032. The upgrades aim to improve performance and extend the plant’s operational life for decades.

“The Isle-Maligne hydroelectric power plant has been a strategic asset for Rio Tinto for 100 years,” said Sébastien Ross, managing director for Atlantic Operations, Rio Tinto Aluminium. “This major investment to modernise our facilities will ensure the long-term future and competitivity of our low carbon aluminium production in Quebec for decades to come for our Canadian and American customers.”

The project builds on a long-standing partnership between Rio Tinto and GE Vernova, which has included upgrades at other Quebec hydropower facilities, such as Shipshaw. “This modernisation project at the Isle Maligne plant is a testament of how we can achieve greater efficiency and performance without altering the core infrastructure,” said Frederic Ribieras, Hydro Power CEO at GE Vernova. “This long-term collaboration will be critical to help secure the supply chain in a capacity-constrained market.”

Hydropower accounts for approximately 60% of Canada’s electricity, with the average age of its plants at 53 years. With electricity demand projected to double by 2050, modernizing existing hydropower facilities like Isle Maligne is crucial for meeting future energy needs with reliable, clean power. The project enhances the plant’s role in supporting sustainable industrial operations while contributing to Canada’s energy grid stability.