Ontario Pumped Storage

Project Description

Ontario Pumped Storage is a proposed 1,000 MW pumped hydro storage project planned for the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre near Meaford, Ontario. The facility is intended to store electricity by moving water between Georgian Bay and an upper reservoir, then releasing it to generate power during periods of higher demand.

TULLOCH supported early project development with a topographic survey of the approximately 1,150-hectare site. UAV-based LiDAR and conventional ground surveys were used to capture existing conditions and develop the engineering base plan for subsequent design.

TULLOCH also completed multi-phase geotechnical and geophysical investigations to characterize subsurface conditions, bedrock properties, and groundwater behaviour. Investigations included drilling vertical and angled boreholes to depths of up to 250 metres, rock coring, hydraulic testing, instrumentation, and specialized in-situ testing.

The project’s location within an active Canadian Armed Forces training area created additional logistical and safety considerations for field crews, requiring careful coordination of site access and investigation activities.

Scope of Services

UAV-based LiDAR survey of the approximately 1,150-hectare project site
Conventional topographic and ground surveys
Engineering base plan development
Survey control and field verification
Drilling and geotechnical logging of vertical and angled boreholes up to 250 m deep
Rock coring, discontinuity logging, and geotechnical televiewing
Packer testing and hydraulic conductivity assessment
Installation of standpipe piezometers
Continuous groundwater monitoring using level loggers
Specialized in-situ testing, including rock pressure meter and hydro-fracture testing
Characterization of bedrock physical, mechanical, and permeability properties
Ongoing geotechnical data delivery and technical support for phased facility design