Concept
The Tracy Thermal Generating Station is a retired 660-megawatt heavy fuel oil-fueled thermal power station built from 1962 by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company and completed by Hydro-Québec after the buyout of all private electric utilities by the government of Quebec in 1963. Commissioned between 1964 and 1968, the plant is located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River in the city of Sorel-Tracy, in the Montérégie Region. Mainly used as a peaker plant, the Tracy facility was usually running during cold spells in the winter. It was sometimes operated year-round to supplement hydroelectric generation during low-water years. Although it was operated only sporadically, the generating station has been criticized for its contribution to air pollution as it was one of Quebec's major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates (PM). Some commentators have accused Hydro-Québec of unnecessarily operating the Tracy thermal plant to export electricity by taking advantage of low fuel prices at certain times. The Tracy Thermal Generating Station was kept as a reserve during the 2010–2011 winter and permanently shut down on March 1, 2011. Its dismantlement has started in 2013. The power station is located in the former town of Tracy on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, 75 km (45 mi) north-east of Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1954, the town is separated from Sorel by the Richelieu River and has a long industrial and shipbuilding history, including the Marine Industries shipyard that has operated there since 1937. Other heavy industries, including foundries and steel mills, have set up shop in town. Tracy merged with Sorel to become the city of Sorel-Tracy in 2000. The property is located at 12125 Marie-Victorin Road. The plant has been built on a 50.6-hectare (125 acres) lot, crossed by Quebec Route 132 (Marie-Victorin Road) and a Canadian National railroad track upstream from downtown Sorel-Tracy.
