BC Hydro Awards $470 Million Contract for Site C Turbines and Generators

BC Hydro has issued a $470 million contract for turbines and generators to Voith Hydro Inc. The contract includes the design, supply and installation of six vertical axis, Francis-style turbines, six generators, and associated equipment. With nearly 150 workers slated to be on site during the peak of installation in 2022, the contract is expected to create approximately 400 person-years of employment resulting in job opportunities for electricians, millwrights, pipefitters, boilermakers, and other trades.

Site C is currently the biggest energy infrastructure project in Canada. It involves building a third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River in northeast BC, will provide 1,100 megawatts (MW) of capacity, and produce about 5,100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity each year, enough energy to power 450,000 homes per year. The project is expected to be completed in 2024 and provide clean, reliable and affordable electricity for more than 100 years.

The Site C turbines and generators are custom designed to suit the site-specific conditions of each hydroelectric facility. A rigorous evaluation process concluded that Voith has a strong delivery record for projects of a similar size and nature and best met BC Hydro’s requirements for the Site C turbines and generators contract. Voith has provided equipment for a number of BC Hydro projects, including:

• Revelstoke Unit 5 project

• Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse upgrade

• Gordon M. Shrum turbine replacement project

Voith Hydro, through the Construction Labour Relations Association, has negotiated a labour agreement with the Bargaining Council of British Columbia Building Trades Unions, which represents construction craft unions in B.C. The labour agreement includes participation from 10 BC building trades unions for the installation of the turbines and generators for Site C. “At a time when the northeast economy is being impacted by a downturn in the natural resource sector,” says Mike Bernier, MLA, Peace River, “South Site C is providing jobs and business opportunities for Peace region communities.”

Photo: still shot from a Voith Hydro Inc. video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfN3rEg2YlA&feature=youtu.be.