Hydro-Québec generates, transmits and distributes electricity, It is Canada’s largest electricity producer and one of the world’s largest hydroelectric power producers. Its sole shareholder is the Québec government. It uses mainly renewable generating options, in particular large hydropower. Its research institute, IREQ, conducts R&D in energy efficiency, energy storage and various other energy-related fields.

Centre d’excellence:
For 40 years, Hydro-Québec has been recognized around the world for its technological expertise and its portfolio of intellectual property in the area of battery materials. This work is carried out by the Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage, a world-class innovation hub that strives to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and to develop storage systems for the integration of renewable energy sources. The Center of Excellence commercializes Hydro-Québec’s technologies, which are protected by over 100 patent families. In fact, the Center’s scientists reinvented the energy of the future when Hydro-Québec became the first company in the world to use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for grid-scale energy storage. Directed by Karim Zaghib, an internationally renowned expert, the Center has a high-caliber team working to revolutionize the energy industry. Karim Zaghib was awarded the Lionel-Boulet Prize in 2019, the highest distinction granted by the Government of Quebec in the field of industrial research and development.