The QScale company could choose the Outaouais for a project worth more than a billion dollars.
The QScale company is considering establishing itself in the municipality of Thurso. If it comes to fruition, this project could amount to more than a billion dollars, and generate hundreds of jobs.
QScale is a young Quebec company specializing in the development of computer processing centers with energy recovery. In fact, QScale houses its customers’ computers in its infrastructure. The heat produced by computers and data processing is then recovered to fuel circular economy projects.
The data processing market is growing exponentially right now, says Vincent Thibeault, co-founder of the company. Hence the importance of finding new sites to establish campuses, according to him.
Several sites in Quebec are being considered. For the moment, only one, in the Outaouais, holds the company’s attention: Thurso.
© Christian Milette /Radio-Canada
The municipality of Thurso could host a QScale company campus.
Embryonic stage
To attract such a project, many conditions must be met.
Vincent Thibeault explains that it is necessary to find very large areas of industrial land, and to carry out geotechnical studies. The accessibility of municipal services and the availability of electricity are also sought after, as QScale’s campuses consume a lot of electricity.
Video: Measures are tightening across the country (Radio-Canada.ca)
Click here to enlarge
NEXT VIDEO
The businessman adds that it is also important for the company to find a local initiative that will allow it to highlight all the heat that will be generated by the campus. He cites the example of the QScale campus located in Lévis, near Quebec, which alone should generate enough energy to power greenhouses the size of which is equivalent to 100 football fields. This campus should be up and running before the end of this year.
Replace paper mills
For its expansion, QScale targets above all cities whose economic heart has historically beat to the rhythm of paper mills or aluminum smelters.
These are large electricity consuming industries, just like computer data processing, and it is a similar workforce.», Explains the co-founder of the company. These municipalities are particularly attractive to the owners of QScale, because of their infrastructure already in place.
But there is still a lot of work to be done before the final decision is made.
At the moment, we are collecting and analyzing information. Integration into the Hydro-Québec network requires long and expensive studies. It would be realistic to think that we will make a decision in a year“, Predicts Vincent Thibeault.
Exciting project
Even if nothing is yet final, this project of the company QScale excites the mayor of Thurso. Benoit Lauzon believes that the efforts made for several years to attract businesses to the municipality finally seem to be starting to bear fruit.
Carrying out a project like the one envisioned by QScale would help revive the region’s economy. The municipality of Thurso was indeed strongly shaken by the closure of the Fortress factory, two years ago.
© Simon Lasalle / Radio-Canada
Benoît Lauzon, mayor of Thurso (archives)
Steps have been taken to attract businesses and revive the economy in Thurso since the plant closed, but no major project has been carried out so far.
With the collaboration of Christian Milette