The mighty St. Lawrence River will soon be home to a power-generating pilot project that could one day capture energy from rivers across Canada.

The company that builds the underwater river turbines says the test phase will start off small, producing enough hydroelectric energy to power 750 homes.

But RSW Inc. president Georges Dick says the technology has huge potential in Canada's biggest waterways, including the Mackenzie, Peace and Fraser rivers.

The federal and provincial governments are funding one-third of the $18-million project.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis says it's a low-cost, renewable energy source that will create hundreds of jobs.

Paradis insists the spinning blades inside the three-metre-high turbines will not have an impact on underwater wildlife.

The pilot project will see two turbines plunked into water off the shores of Montreal in the coming weeks.

Quebec hopes to eventually use the technology to power its northern communities, which now rely heavily on polluting diesel-fuelled generators.