Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC; ;

Inuinnaqtun Inuinnaqtun (, ; natively meaning 'like the real human beings/peoples') is an Inuit language. It is spoken in the central Canadian Arctic. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinna ...

: ''Qulliq Alruyaktuqtunik Ikumadjutiit''; ) is a Canadian territorial corporation which is the sole electricity utility and

distributor A distributor is an electric and mechanical device used in the ignition system of older spark-ignition engines. The distributor's main function is to route electricity from the ignition coil to each spark plug at the correct time. Design ...

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

. It is wholly owned by the

Government of Nunavut The Government of Nunavut ( Inuinnaqtun ''Nunavut Kavamanga''; ) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. In modern Canadian use, the term ''Government of Nunavut'' refers specifically to the executi ...

. Its name is derived from the qulliq, a traditional

oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. The ...

used by

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

and other Arctic indigenous peoples. It is headquartered in

Baker Lake, Nunavut Baker Lake (Inuktitut syllabics: ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ 'big lake joined by a river at both ends', Inuktitut: ''Qamani'tuaq'' 'where the river widens') is a hamlet (place)#Canada, hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Loc ...

History

The Nunavut Power Corporation was established by the Nunavut Power Utilities Act (now the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act) in 2001 to take over the Nunavut-based assets of the

Northwest Territories Power Corporation The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) is an electric utility in the Northwest Territories of Canada. NTPC was formed in 1988 to acquire and operate the former assets of the Northern Canada Power Commission in the Northwest Territori ...

(itself a successor to the Northern Canada Power Commission). In 2003, Nunavut Power Corporation was renamed Qulliq Energy Corporation and the mandate of the corporation was expanded to include energy conservation and alternative generation development. Qulliq Energy established the Nunavut Energy Centre in 2006 as a division focusing on energy conservation through public outreach. The centre was closed down on March 31, 2009, and its functions were transferred to the territorial government departments.

Operations

Low population, severe weather, and remoteness of transportation and construction technology make long distance

high voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...

grids unviable. Every community in Nunavut relies on independent

diesel generator A diesel generator (DG) (also known as a diesel genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of an engine generator. A diesel compress ...

s, fueled by the annual

sealift Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...

re-supply during the summer shipping season. This dependence on diesel presents its own set of environmental and economic impacts, leaving the territory vulnerable to world energy price fluctuations. The first new power generation facility since the establishment of the company was the expansion of the Iqaluit power plant. The geography of Nunavut presents unique challenges to hydro-electric facilities, but the company is actively engaged in site reviews for hydro-electric developments in the 12-20 MW range around

Iqaluit Iqaluit is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is the territory's largest community and its only city, and the northernmost city in Canada. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on ...

, the territorial capital. The hydro-electric plants are planned in Jaynes Inlet and Armshow South on the south shore of

Frobisher Bay Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island. Its length is about and its width varies from about at its outlet into the Davis Strait ...

. During the 1970s, there had been suggestions of NCPC employing "

slowpoke The SLOWPOKE (acronym for Safe LOW-POwer Kritical Experiment) is a family of low-energy, swimming pool reactor, tank-in-pool type nuclear research reactors designed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) beginning in the late 1960s. John W. H ...

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics * Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

generators to produce power in the many isolated communities. Since the establishment, periodic discussions continue regarding the possibility of combining Nunavut's fuel delivery functions under Qulliq Energy.

Iqaluit Hydroelectric Project

In 2005, Quilliq Energy initiated a study of potential sites near

for the development of a

hydroelectric power station Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also mo ...

. Two sites, Jaynes Inlet and Armshow South, were selected as the most cost-effective and viable solutions after comprehensive research. The Jaynes Inlet site () would be the site of a 12.5 MW hydroelectric dam that is expected to meet Iqaluit's current energy demand. The Armshow South site () would be the site of a 7.3 MW hydroelectric dam that would be developed when additional capacity is needed. However, Quilliq Energy does not have an adequate revenue surplus or borrowing ability in order to fund the project on its own, especially as 13 of the existing 25 diesel-fired power stations across the territory are in need of replacement. As a result, the hydroelectric project was shelved indefinitely in 2014.

Other Renewable Energy Projects

In numerous communities across the Canadian north, renewable energy projects using solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric power plants are being pursued. The option of extending a transmission line to Manitoba would enable hydroelectricity from

Manitoba Hydro The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board (), operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas public utility, utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba ...

to be used in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. Photovoltaic solar power is particularly attractive due to its absence of structural-mechanical complexity. Given the very long days of summer, in some communities the installation of such panels can enable diesel gensets to be turned off for multiple hours at a time. Additionally, Nunavut is also pursuing independent power production in the form of solar panels on schools, healthcare facilities, and municipal buildings. In 2023, a wind turbine was installed in the community of

Sanikiluaq Sanikiluaq ( ) is a municipality and Inuit community located on the north coast of Flaherty Island in Hudson Bay, on the Belcher Islands. Despite being geographically much closer to the shores of Ontario and Quebec, the community and the Belch ...

, making it the first in the territory to generate renewable energy without reliance on diesel plants when "system conditions permit." It is expected to go online by late 2024.

Controversies

In 2010 and 2011, five lawsuits were filed against Qulliq Energy by former employees for wrongful/constructive dismissal, while some other former workers accused the company for the violation of

rights in the workplace.

References

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External links

Qulliq Energy Corporation
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Ikuma I, 2001 Report
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Ikuma 2, 2002 Report
Electric power companies of Canada Crown corporations of Nunavut Energy in Nunavut Energy companies established in 2001 Kivalliq Region 2001 establishments in Nunavut Energy in Northern Canada Government-owned energy companies of Canada