End of project: the new electrical substation enters service at the Port of Montreal
After two years of work, the Port of Montreal’s new electrical substation has officially entered service! Part of the broader CanEst Yard redevelopment project, this initiative aimed to relocate the former substation from the CanEst Yard to Yard 42, freeing up operational space while modernizing the equipment.
A central component of the port’s electrical network
The Port of Montreal manages its entire electrical network, which includes a total of seven substations. Substation 3 powers a significant portion of the port territory, from section 24 to 51 — from the Berri entrance to Sicard Street — helping provide electricity to buildings and vessels alike. In this context, modernizing this infrastructure is essential to ensure the reliability and continuity of operations.
Modernizing without interruption
Led by Martin Gilbert, Project Manager, and Peter Manolov, Electrical Network Supervisor, the project was carried out in several phases:
- Excavation and construction of the new electrical substation structure in Yard 42
- Installation of the mechanical and electrical systems inside the building
- Connection to the existing electrical network
- Dismantling of the former station
With a total cost of $13 million, compared to an initial budget estimate of $14.7 million, the substation has a distribution capacity of 15.6 MVA and includes a 25 kV auxiliary room with dual Hydro-Québec feeds, 25 kV switchgear on the ground floor, and 12.5 kV switchgear on the upper floor with 11 vacuum circuit breakers, as well as two capacitor banks and a SCADA cabinet.
The project’s main challenge? Maintaining continuous power supply throughout the duration of the work. “We absolutely had to avoid and minimize any service interruptions,” explains Peter Manolov.
To achieve this, the commissioning of the new substation was carried out in parallel with the existing one. Line transfers were completed progressively, cutting cables one at a time, with very short interruptions — never longer than 15 minutes — and always under close control.
A team effort
From the project management side, Martin, who joined the project six months ago, took charge of contract oversight. Had he worked on this type of project before?
“Absolutely not!” he tells us.
Coming from a civil engineering background, he was particularly comfortable with the excavation work and building construction, but acknowledges that the electrical component represented a new challenge. “It was a great experience,” he summarizes.
Peter, for his part, brought well-established technical expertise, having previously worked on other port substations. An architect was also involved to ensure visual consistency with the existing buildings.
Infrastructure built for the future
“It’s good for at least another 35 years!” Peter tells us.
Beyond the commissioning of the substation, the CanEst project continues. Upcoming phases include the development of a level crossing to improve truck traffic flow, as well as resurfacing and drainage work in the yard.
Congratulations to all the teams involved in making this project a success!
May 14, 2026