Northern Quebec Hydroelectricity - Manicouagan V - Powerplant #1

---

Click on Photos for larger view.

This is where the water that was diverted to make hydroelectricity at Powerplant One again rejoins the riverbed. Powerplant One is above ground and contains eight generating units capable of producing 1,528 MW of hydroelectric power.

A view of Powerplant One taken from the top of the dam. At one time the roadway across the dam was part of Highway 389; however, that portion of the road was closed to the general public for safety reasons. People would stop to take photos and the vibrations of transport trucks was starting to degrade the integrity of the structure. To avoid further damage, a new road was constructed bypassing the dam. The old road along the top of the dam is closed to private vehicles and can only be accessed by service vehicles.

A closer view of the two silos above Powerplant 1.

One of the thousands of electrical towers leading from Manic V. Next stop for the electricity is Quebec City and then on to the eastern seaboard of Canada and the USA. There is a population of 508 people in the catchment area, which is 29,241 sq km (11,290 sq miles).