CALGARY-BASED AltaGas says it's spending $1 billion over the next five years on three run of river projects, beginning with the $700 million Forrest Kerr project taking water from the Iskut River.
Forrest Kerr is also the largest of the three at 195 megawatts which will be fed into the end of the Northwest Transmission Line at Bob Quinn for sale to BC Hydro, company official Dan Woznow told a Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce audience here yesterday.
“We're really excited about this, we really think that these projects are going to help drive a lot of economic development in the region,” Woznow said.
“These projects are going to have a big impact up here,” Woznow added, explaining that a 400-person construction camp near the Forrest Kerr project site is nearly ready.
And around 20 businesses in Terrace and in Smithers have contracts so far with AltaGas for camp and other services.
The three projects represent about 277 megawatts combined, which is enough electricity to power around 100,000 homes.
The Forrest Kerr project is the largest single intake run-of-river facility in North America.
It's to be finished by early 2014, matching the anticipated completion date of the Northwest Transmission Line.
Two other projects, a 66 megawatt facility at McLymont Creek and a 16 megawatt facility at Volcano Creek, are in the environmental assessment and development process.
McLymont, which is 10km away from the Forrest Kerr project and requires crossing the Iskut River, is estimated to cost around $200 million. AtlaGas hopes to formally submit an application later this summer.
Volcano Creek is a $40 million project and is expected to be in service by 2016.
AltaGas has a 60-year power sales contract with BC Hydro and will need to build a 37km long 287kV line to hook up with the Northwest Transmission Line at Bob Quinn. The transmission line itself will run south to the BC Hydro's Skeena Substation near Terrace.