Work on Saskatchewan’s next natural gas-fired power station continues to be on time and on budget. The 350-megawatt Chinook Power Station near Swift Current is expected to come online in late 2019, providing electricity for approximately 350,000 homes. The project represents an investment of $680 million.
On Aug 7, power was successfully brought to the station, which means functional tests can now be performed. That week also marked one million hours of work on the project, and without a single lost time injury.
“It’s great to see this important project carried out efficiently by our building and operating partner Burns & McDonnell,” said SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh. “What I am most proud of is the commitment to safety that the employees of SaskPower and our contractors have made to reach a million hours of work without incident. Above all else, we need to bring power to Saskatchewan homes and businesses without ever compromising employee or public safety.”
These milestones also include the completion of approximately five kilometres of new power lines connecting the power station into the power grid.
The project continues to employ hundreds of skilled workers during construction and commissioning, with an estimated 24 employees required to run the facility once it’s finished.
Additional information regarding the Chinook project is available here.