Electricity & Natural Gas, Industry Sector Summaries, Manitoba Competitiveness, Training and Trade

skip to side bar • skip to page content

Electricity & Natural Gas

Sector Structure

Size: Total revenues in 2003-2004 were $1.78 billion. This represented $1.29 billion in electricity sales and $0.49 billion in natural gas sales. The industry directly employs 4,400 persons.

Dominant Activities: Hydroelectric power represents 98% of electrical power generated in Manitoba, and the generation, transmission and distribution of hydroelectric power is the predominant industry activity.

Structure & Concentration

Manitoba Hydro is the province’s sole electrical utility. Manitoba Hydro operates 14 hydroelectric generating stations and 2 thermal generating stations.
Manitoba Hydro is also the principal distributor of natural gas in the province.

Highlights

Manitobans enjoy the lowest priced electricity in North America.
Exports of electricity to other provinces and to the US totaled $351 million in 2003-2004.

Sector Capabilities

Hydroelectric and thermal power generation
Electrical power transmission & distribution
Natural gas distribution
HVDC power transmission over long distances and conversion to AC power

Competitive Strengths

Lowest cost power in North America
Manitoba’s industrial electricity rates are the lowest in North America, and among the lowest rates in the world. Manitoba Hydro assists its industrial customers in further reducing their power costs by offering several alternative rate packages.
Stability of supply & ample room for capacity expansion
The quality and reliability of the electricity generated by Manitoba Hydro ranks among the best in the world. Reliability indices, used to measure delivery performance since 1984, show that Manitoba Hydro's outage frequency and average outage duration, continue to be substantially lower than the composite average of other utilities across Canada. Reliability is also reinforced through Manitoba Hydro's eleven interconnections with neighbouring utilities - effectively increasing the size of Manitoba Hydro's system tenfold.
The rivers in northern Manitoba that drive Manitoba’s hydroelectric generators have more than twice the hydroelectric potential of Niagara Falls. To date, only 50% of these northern resources have been harnessed. The capacity of hydro sites that can reasonably be developed exceeds 5,400 MW. This should meet the electricity needs in the province well into the future

Leading capabilities with respect to technology development and transfer

Manitoba Hydro, through its subsidiary, Manitoba Hydro International Ltd., provides expertise in the planning, design, construction, management and operation of generation, transmission and distribution facilities to clients worldwide. It has provided these services to more than seventy client organizations in over forty countries during its past seventeen years.
Through its subsidiary, the Manitoba HVDC Research Centre, Manitoba Hydro performs innovative research and development in high voltage direct current (HVDC) and power electronic technologies, instrumentation, and simulation. The HVDC Research Centre has become a world leader in the technology of electric power system simulation, applied power systems analysis, and related technologies.
In 2004, construction began on a new 99-megawatt wind energy project near the southern Manitoba town of St. Leon. The $187 million project will take advantage of Manitoba’s world-class wind energy capabilities and was facilitated by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Manitoba Hydro. By the end of 2005, 63 new wind turbine generators will be installed at what will become one of Canada’s largest wind farms.

Trends

Environmental protection & sustainable development
The majority of Manitoba’s electricity is hydroelectric — a clean, renewable source of energy. In order to ensure the continuation of clean, renewable energy, Manitoba Hydro has long maintained a policy of sustainable development. The policy reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable development in all aspects of its operations, to ensure that natural resources are protected as much as possible during exploration, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, and decommissioning of its projects and facilities.

Key Players

Manitoba Hydro

Contact

Mr. Rick Halas,
Business Development Project Manager
Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy & Mines
Tel: (204) 945-4004
Fax: (204) 943-0031
rihalas@gov.mb.ca
www.gov.mb.ca/est/energy/power/

Mr. Paul Chard,
Industrial Development Marketing Specialist
Manitoba Hydro

Tel: (204) 477-7776
Fax: (204) 478-5191

C.T.T. Links:

S.T.E.M. Branches: