Canadian provincial utility Hydro-Quebec has announced its 300 MW solar tender is oversubscribed, after receiving bids for 60 projects with a combined capacity of 481 MW.

The utility’s solar tender launched last May, offering long-term electricity contracts to new solar projects with a maximum installed capacity of 25 MW that can be connected to its integrated network by the end of 2029 at the latest.

The 60 bids are spread across 14 of the province’s administrative regions. Hydro-Quebec says around 40% of the proposed projects involve the participation of a local municipality or an Indigenous community.

An update on the utility’s website says bids will be evaluated over the coming months, with results expected to be announced during the first quarter of next year. The update adds that a maximum 300 MW of projects will be selected.

The tender is one of the first steps in Hydro-Quebec's plan to deploy 11 GW of clean energy by 2035, including 3 GW of solar, first announced last May.

Last week, the electricity system operator in the Canadian province of Ontario approved 12 solar projects with a combined capacity of 915 MW through its long-term energy procurement exercise.

Earlier this year, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association told pv magazine Canada’s cumulative solar capacity could surge to 21 GW by the middle of next decade, up from around 5.4 GW today, largely driven by forthcoming utility-scale procurements. The association added that nine of Canada’s provinces are hosting forthcoming calls.

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