AECOM Joins Worley Team on Ontario Pumped Storage Project

AECOM (ACM ) has been engaged by Worley to support the next phase of development of the proposed Ontario Pumped Storage Project, a long-duration energy storage facility planned for Meaford, Ontario, the company announced on September 4, 2026.

AECOM will be part of the Worley-led team supporting front-end engineering and design, cost estimating, execution planning and project readiness activities on the project. The proposed facility is expected to provide approximately 1,000 megawatts of generation capacity and 10,600 megawatt-hours of energy storage.

By storing electricity when demand is lower and returning it to the grid when it is most valuable, pumped storage can provide long-duration capacity and flexibility while helping make more effective use of Ontario’s existing and future generation resources, according to the company.

As part of the Worley-led team, AECOM will support the advancement of the project’s underground works and hydraulic systems, helping optimize the design for constructability, operability and long-term performance. AECOM will also contribute to cost and schedule development, risk assessment and other engineering activities.

“Ontario is entering a period of significant electricity demand growth, making long-duration energy storage increasingly important to a reliable and flexible electricity system,” said Richard Barrett, chief executive of AECOM’s Canada region. “The Ontario Pumped Storage Project represents an opportunity to apply proven technology at a scale that can help meet the province’s future electricity needs. We are proud to bring our Canadian and global hydropower expertise to this landmark project and help advance it toward an informed investment decision.”

AECOM’s involvement in the project builds on its longstanding hydropower experience and growing global expertise in pumped storage, according to the company.

The Worley-Led Team

TC Energy (TRP ), the project developer, selected Worley to support the next phase of development, with the project team confirming the selection on August 18, 2026. Worley will lead a team that includes infrastructure leaders EllisDon and AECOM to advance detailed engineering, project design, cost estimates, execution planning, and overall project readiness activities, according to a project update on the Ontario Pumped Storage website.

Project development will advance through TC Energy’s Hire and Buy Local Program, under which Worley, EllisDon and AECOM will prioritize local and Indigenous employment, suppliers, services and businesses wherever practical. These commitments are embedded into project requirements and performance is tracked and reported throughout project execution, the project team stated.

Worley confirmed on August 20, 2026 that it will lead the team to advance front end engineering and design, cost estimating, execution planning and project readiness.

Project Background

The Ontario Pumped Storage Project is a development project proposed for construction on the Department of National Defence’s 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford, Ontario, in the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. TC Energy is developing the project with its prospective partner Saugeen Ojibway Nation, and the facility would be Ontario’s largest energy storage project, storing enough clean electricity to power one million homes for 11 hours, according to a July 10, 2023 TC Energy release.

That 2023 release noted the project remained subject to the approval of TC Energy’s board of directors and a successful partnership agreement with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. TC Energy was at that time targeting a final investment decision in 2024, with the project expected to be in service in the early 2030s, subject to receipt of regulatory and corporate approvals.

In a January 11, 2024 release, TC Energy said it would continue to advance the project and begin work with the Ministry of Energy and the Ontario Energy Board to establish a potential long-term revenue framework. That release stated construction would begin in the latter part of this decade with in-service in the early 2030s, subject to regulatory and corporate approvals.

TC Energy has re-designed the project based on early feedback from community members in Meaford and Saugeen Ojibway Nation to enhance protections for fish, the aquatic and near-shore environments of Georgian Bay. The design calls for the powerhouse to be located away from the shoreline and buried in a cavern, and for the water intake and outfall to be placed away from the shoreline with tunnels installed beneath the lakebed to access deep water, avoiding sensitive near-shore fish habitat.

AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025, according to the company.