Project Spotlight: Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project is a proposed 15-30 MW hydroelectric facility that would end Iqaluit's near-total reliance on imported diesel for electricity. The project is 100% Inuit-owned and led, through the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation. Still in the feasibility and field-study stage, the project was referred to the federal Major Projects Office in November 2025 as part of Canada's nation-building infrastructure agenda, and would replace an estimated 15 million litres of diesel burned annually to power the territorial capital.
Project Overview
The proposed 15-30 MW hydropower facility would be built on the Kuugaaluk River, approximately 60 km from Iqaluit, Nunavut. Ongoing field studies of water levels and flows are informing the final design, with initial results released in March 2026 and further data collection continuing through the summer. The project was referred to the federal Major Projects Office on November 13, 2025, as part of the second tranche of "nation-building" projects. On August 29, 2025, the project developer, Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Qulliq Energy Corporation, Nunavut's territorial electricity utility, establishing a framework to define a future commercial relationship for the potential sale of hydroelectric power. Separately, a $6 million grant from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency is funding part of the project, aimed at data collection and bringing the project to "shovel-ready" status.
Project Details
Location: Kuugaaluk River, ~60 km from Iqaluit, Nunavut
Technology: Hydroelectric power
Cost: $750 million
Capacity: 15-30 MW
Status: In development
Indigenous Owner: Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation
Indigenous Ownership
Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, the regional Inuit Economic Development Corporation owned by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
Why This Project Matters
Nunavut is almost entirely reliant on imported diesel for heat and electricity; displacing an estimated 15 million litres annually in a single capital city is a rare example of Inuit-owned generation directly substituting for fossil fuel imports at this scale, rather than adding capacity alongside existing sources.
Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker
The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project is one of the many Indigenous-owned energy projects tracked in IEM's Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker (IEOT). It was built to centralize project ownership details, identify partnership models, and improve transparency across Canada's energy transition.
🔗 Explore the IEOT:
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