The Waneta Expansion Project near Trail, British Columbia, has been connected to the BC Hydro grid by developer The Waneta Expansion Limited Partnership (WELP) – a JV between Fortis Inc., Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust.
The 335MW expansion adds a second powerhouse, immediately downstream of the Waneta Dam on the Pend-d’Oreille River. The scheme shares the existing hydraulic head and generates power from water that would otherwise be spilled.
The project was completed six weeks ahead of schedule. Two parallel tunnels are feeding two Voith Hydro supplied 167.5MW Francis turbine units. Subcontracted by prime contractor SNC Lavalin, Voith also supplied the generators, governors, exciters and various additional auxiliary systems of the plant’s equipment.
"We are proud to have contributed to one of the largest infrastructure projects of British Columbia and helped bringing it online," said William Malus, CEO of Voith Hydro in Canada. "We contributed to making available reliable and affordable electricity from a renewable, climate friendly source."
The official opening presentation of the expansion is be held in July 2015 with project and local, regional and provincial government representatives.
Image: courtesy of Columbia Power Corp.
