Trenton Battery Project
Project Summary
NRStor Inc., Wskijnu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Ltd. (WMA) – the corporate entity created by the 13 Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq communities – and Aecon (collectively “The Project Partners”) are developing a Battery Energy Storage System (“BESS”) of 150 MW, 600-1,200 MWh in size in the Town of Trenton, Nova Scotia, through the jointly owned organization, NRStor Trenton Energy Storage GP Inc. (“Trenton Battery Project”).
The Project will provide clean, reliable power capacity by drawing and storing renewable energy during off-peak periods and releasing it to the Nova Scotia grid when energy demand is at its peak.
The Project has the potential to generate significant economic value of $400-900 million to the Nova Scotia grid through provision of energy services that will improve grid efficiency, reliability, and enable the increased integration of renewable energy.
It will help contribute to meeting Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan targets while also revitalizing the Trenton Industrial Park and create direct employment opportunities for the community.
Project Name
Trenton Battery Project
Nameplate Capacity
150 MW, 600-1200 MWh
Storage Technology Used
Battery Electricity Storage Facility – Lithium Ion Technology
Legal Name of Project Entity
NRStor Trenton Energy Storage GP Inc.
Job Creation
This Project will attract new industry to revitalize the Trenton Industrial Park. The NRStor Trenton Energy Storage GP Inc. will create internship opportunities for Trenton and Pictou Landing First Nation community members and result in 280 person-years of employment in a community affected by coal shutdowns.
System Efficiencies
Energy storage can capture excess renewable energy and release it when needed, making a smoother transition to sustainable energy sources for your community.
Environmental Benefits
This Project is strategically sited adjacent to one of the first coal facilities slated for shutdown as part of Nova Scotia’s goals of phasing out coal generation by 2030. At present, coal constitutes up to 60% of total power generation in the province. The Trenton Battery Project offers greater flexibility to respond to system peaks, avoiding coal generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is expected to result in reducing as much as 1.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its 20 years of operation; equivalent to removing more than 22,000 vehicles off the road annually.
Indigenous Partnerships
Co-developing this project with the Wskijnu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Ltd. (WMA) – the corporate entity created by the 13 Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq communities – provides a pathway towards shared long-term benefits and meaningful economic reconciliation.
Project Location
The Trenton site is situated within Epekwitk aq Piktuk meaning “cradled above water” and “the explosion place”; one of seven Mi’kmaq traditional governance districts within Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral homeland of the Mi’kmaq people. Located on the eastern bank of the East River (Amasipukwejk), this low-lying coastal-inland transition zone features interconnected marine, estuarine, wetland, and forest ecosystems that have supported Mi’kmaq harvesting, travel, and cultural practice since time immemorial. Sheltered bays, tidal marshes, and freshwater corridors sustained seasonal harvesting activities, while Pictou Harbour functioned as a key hub within regional travel and trade networks. Pictou Landing First Nation, one of 13 Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia, is located approximately 11 kilometres north of Trenton. Today the community serves roughly 666 members, with approximately 500 residing on-reserve. To learn more, visit Pictou Landing First Nation.
Founded in 1786 by Scottish settlers, Trenton grew to become a centre of manufacturing and industrial innovation, home to the nation’s first steel fabrication facility established in 1872, and widely recognized for its contributions to glass production, railcar and shipbuilding industries. To learn more about the town’s history, visit Town of Trenton, Nova Scotia.
Recognizing the cultural and ecological significance of this place, we engaged the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq to conduct a Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study (MEKS). Through desktop research, Knowledge Holder interviews and workshops, and site visits to document culturally significant areas and species, MEKS evaluated seasonal resource patterns, environmental change, and the enduring relationship between the Mi’kmaq and their land. This work confirms that Mi’kmaq ecological knowledge and cultural connections to this landscape remain alive — carried through language, seasonal practice, and intergenerational teaching.
Project Open Houses
Project Updates
- February 7, 2025 – Project website launch with February 26th Open House details posted
- February 10, 2025 – Press release issued, featuring February 26th Open House
- February 26, 2025 – Project Open House held in Pictou County, NS
- April 9, 2025 – Meeting minutes posted from February 26th Open House
May 25, 2026 – The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq’s Trenton Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study (MEKS) report posted
Project Documents
Project Updates
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Project Contact:
Homaira Siddiqui, Partnerships and Project Development
hsiddiqui@nrstor.com