February 20, 2008

Electricity Generation

British Columbia government reviews Epcor wind-power project

Richard Gilbert

staff writer

The construction of a wind energy project in northeastern B.C. by Epcor is one step closer to reality as the government undertakes an environmental assessment.

Epcor Power Development (B.C.) Limited Partnership announced on Feb. 11 that it has initiated an environmental assessment process for the Quality Wind Project.

Epcor Power, which is a subsidiary of Epcor Utilities Inc., plans to erect 60 to 120 turbines about ten kilometres northeast of Tumbler Ridge, B.C. The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has issued a Section 10 Order formally triggering a review of the project under the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act.

“We are starting the environmental assessment process, so we are still not in a position to make a decision to proceed,” said Jay Shukin, corporate relation officer at Epcor.

“There are two things we need before we proceed. The first is an EA (environmental assessment) certificate and that we are working on now. The second is a power purchase agreement through B.C. Hydro.”

The decision to start construction on this project is subject to several conditions, which include regulatory approvals, economic and engineering assessments, successful participation in a competitive bid process by BC Hydro, and negotiation of a power purchase agreement with BC Hydro.

“There are a lot of good things about this particular site,” Shukin explained. “There has been a lot of industrial activity, such as mining and logging and a forest fire, so the construction of the project would not cause any disruption to pristine areas.”

A report prepared for the EAO by Epcor Power Development states that the project includes; construction and upgrading roads, the construction of foundation and tower erection, the placement of above ground or underground electrical collector cables and fibre-optic cables, the building of project substation and operations, construction of overhead transmission lines from the project to and interconnection point with the BC Transmission Corporation.

The project would be connected to the B.C. electricity grid with 18 to 25 kilometres of new transmission lines.

Another advantage to this site is that Epcor plans to use existing roads as much as possible for access. However, it is likely that 35 kilometres of new roads and upgrades to existing gravel roads will be required to allow for access to infrastructure components during construction and operation.

Depending on the model selected, the towers will be 80 to 100 metres tall, from the base to hub, with a rotor diameter of 77 to 90 metres.

Each turbine is mounted on a concrete or rock foundation, equipped with a transformer and has a tubular steel tower upon which the hub generator and three balanced rotors are attached.

Construction is anticipated to take about 18 months and is proposed to take place between 2010 and 2011. Cost estimates for the project have not been disclosed.

The operational phase will coincide with the BC Hydro power purchase agreement that is yet to be issued and should be for at least 25 years.

The project was initiated by Chinook Power Corp., who will continue to act as a consultant to the project.

Founded in December 2004, Chinook is a privately-owned, Canadian developer of renewable energy with a focus on wind energy sites in B.C.

Chinook’s website states that the company has received 17 investigative permits from the B.C. Government to examine the potential for wind energy production on more than 200,000 acres of crown land.

The first wind power project built by Epcor is the 40 MW Kingsbridge wind power project in Ontario. The wind farm has been operational for two years.

In B.C., Epcor generates power from four small hydro facilities and one of the largest biomass facilities in North America, located in Williams Lake.

In 2007, these facilities generated enough clean electricity to meet the average annual needs of 89,000 homes in B.C..

Epcor Utilities Inc. builds, owns and operates power plants, electrical transmission and distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment facilities and infrastructure in Canada and the U.S.

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