Construction progressing on the Waneta Dam expansion
By Trail Champion staff
Construction is progressing on the $900-million powerhouse addition to Teck’s Waneta Dam Expansion Project near Trail.
Work also has been going on at the office complex site for the project, three kilometres north of the construction site on Highway 22A across from the Trail Airport.
The office site has been leveled and fenced with all services — including water, gas and septic systems — being installed. A 530-space parking lot has been constructed where workers will park and then be bussed to the powerplant construction site.
Over $162 million in wages over a four-and-a-half year period will be poured into the West Kootenay region as a result of the workforce the expansion will create.
The expansion is also projected to pump $178 million into the local economy through the purchase of goods and services.
In September, 2010 an agreement in principle was reached between the Columbia Power Corporation and the Columbia Basin Trust with Fortis Inc. for the construction of a second powerhouse adjacent to Teck’s Waneta Dam.
The deal will see BC Hydro buy all the 630 Gigawatt-hours of electricity and associated capacity, while FortisBC will buy the remaining 234 Megawatts of capacity from the 335 Megawatt plant.
Fortis Inc. owns 51 per cent of the proposed structure within the partnership, while Columbia Power and CBT own the remainder.
For further information on the project, visit www.columbiapower.org/wanetaexpansion.
See also
- Bigger than life: Waneta in its full effect
https://thenelsondaily.com/news/business/bigger-life-waneta-its-full-effect-12766
- Waneta expansion project marks no lost time or major environmental incident to date
- Waneta expansion project effects to be monitored
https://thenelsondaily.com/news/general/waneta-expansion-project-effects-be-monitored-10657
- Construction begins on Waneta expansion project
https://thenelsondaily.com/news/general/construction-begins-waneta-expansion-project-9617
Photo below: Waneta Expansion Project celebrates construction milestone with first major concrete pour for the service bay of the future powerhouse.
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