ACCIONA in Canada ten outstanding years

Innovation and technology are the credentials with which ACCIONA has set down roots in Canada. The Company has been there for more than ten years now.

In figures

• Capital: Ottawa
• Official languages: English and French
• Form of government: Federal parliamentary monarchy
• Head of State: Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister: Stephen Harper
• Surface area: 9,984,670 km²
• Total population: 33,476,688
• GDP per capita: US$ 43,738
• Currency:: Canadian dollar
• Exchange rate: 1 euro: CD$ 1.346

ACCIONA Infrastructure

ACCIONA Infrastructure now operates in the country through three of its main business lines -engineering, construction and concession- and has five publicprivate projects (PPPs): two hospitals and three highways.

It recently opened to traffic the A-30 motorway in Montreal - for which it was builder, operator and, through ACCIONA Concessions, concessionaire. The 42km highway includes a tunnel under the Soulanges Canal and two big bridges, one spanning the St Lawrence River, of 1,850 meters, and another over the St Lawrence canal at Beauharnois, of 2,550 meters. The Beauharnois Bridge is the longest incrementally launched bridge ever built in North America and the second-longest in the world, thus marking a milestone for ACCIONA in terms of the technology used. The Technological Center took part in the monitoring of the launch of the box girder bridge, so it could observe the structural behavior.

Non-conventional solution

The challenge of the project lay in the irregular, unique geometry of the elevation, which is at a steep longitudinal gradient and consists partly of a parabolic curve. If not designed correctly, the bridge's characteristics could lead to large deformations in the deck and supporting piers. The novelty of the chosen solution lies in the non-conventional application of metallic bridge thrust, which
compensates the high geometric variation and represents a non-standard design solution.

For this project, ACCIONA received two of the most important awards in the concessions sector: in 2008 it received the Gold Award given annually by The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnership's annual Gold Award, which is the benchmark organization in its sector in Canada, as part of the National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in PPP
projects; ACCIONA also received the North America Deal of the Year award for the year's best financial operation, awarded by the prestigious PPI publication.

Hospital projects

The Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia, awarded in 2008, was the first hospital project carried out in Canada by ACCIONA using the concessions model and the first international contract for ACCIONA Facility Services. The concessionaire takes on the commitment of designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining, during 30 years, the hospital, which has 500 beds and a surface area of 37,000m2, the aim of which is to facilitate the future provision of health care for the population of Victoria.

In 2012, the Fort St John Hospital entered into service in British Columbia. Its installations, with a total surface area of 35,000m2, comprise a hospital of 55 beds and a care residence for seniors, with another 123 beds.

ACCIONA has dedicated all its global experience to this hospital, creating a top-class center serving as an example of how a publicprivate project can contribute social infrastructure and simultaneously integrate innovative and sustainable construction practices, helping to improve the community.

The project was designed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification standards, with the Canada Green Building Council, an independent environmental certification organization in Canada, accrediting compliance with sustainable and eco-efficient criteria in building construction.

Highways and roads

ACCIONA Infrastructure is also building the Rt Hon Herb Gray Parkway (formerly the Windsor Essex Parkway) in Ontario which will open to traffic in 2014. This is the province's main artery and the biggest road project built in Ontario.

An estimated 40% of freight between Canada and the US will pass via this highway, improving border access. The project includes the design, construction, financing and maintenance of 11 kilometers of sixlane motorway and the 7km Highway 3 link road which adds another four lanes.

It also has 10 underground tunnels and 20km of recreational areas for leisure and entertainment as well as 120 hectares of parkland. Thanks to this project, ACCIONA is creating 12,000 locals jobs.

A multi-faceted renewables operator

Canada is an example of how ACCIONA Energy is present in all the segments of the value chain in the wind power business: from the development of wind farms to their maintenance through its own
technology offering.

ACCIONA Energy Division has a big presence in Canada. As an owner of assets, the Company has 181MW of wind power in operation distributed over four wind farms: three with local partners and a fourth with 100% ownership.

As a manufacturer of wind turbine generators, it has supplied 45MW for an ACCIONA farm and has contractual commitments to supply turbines for two additional farms for clients totaling 132MW. In one of these, the Company will also provide construction and assembly services for the installation. All this makes Canada a complete showcase for the different business options ACCIONA Energy Division has in the wind power sector.

First wind farm, in 2004

The Company began its activity in Canada with the installation in 2004 of the 30MW Magrath wind farm in Alberta province, a project in which it has a 33.3% stake along with local partners Suncor and Enbridge. With the same players it went on to build, also in Alberta, the 30MW Chin Chute facility in 2006. In 2007, the Company installed the 76MW wind farm at Ripley in Ontario, half-owned with Suncor, and in 2011 the 45MW Lamèque facility in New Brunswick, owning it outright.

ACCIONA Windpower supplied thirty 1.5MW wind turbine generators for the latter and from here on strengthened its commercial presence in Canada with two new supply contracts, both for 3MW turbines in the country's Atlantic provinces.The first of these will go to Hermanville wind farm (30MW) on Prince Edward Island, owned by the Prince Edward Island Energy
Corporation public company. ACCIONA Windpower will provide the turbines and perform the operation and maintenance of the installation during 15 years.

The second contract corresponds to a 102MW wind farm in Nova Scotia, owned by local partners. In this wind power facility, as well as supplying thirty-four 3MW units and its operation and maintenance for five years, the Energy division is to carry out the civil engineering work, interior electrical infrastructure and assembly of the wind farm.

A diversified presence