Upper Lillooet Hydro Project

Province: British Columbia

City/Region: Pemberton Valley

Image Credit: Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

NR

Project Rank

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Project Type: Hydroelectric

Industry Sector: Energy

Project Amount: $491.6 million

Date of Completion: 2017

Funding Source: Private

Private Funding: $491.6 million

Previous Rankings

201786
201690
201597
201496

About The Project

This hydro project includes two run-of-river generation facilities: the 81.4-MW Upper Lillooet River Hydroelectric Facility and the 25.3 MW Boulder (Pebble) Creek Hydroelectric Facility. Each facility will divert partial flows from the river through an intake structure directly to the turbines and generating equipment located in each powerhouse. The water will then be returned to each respective river and creek. A single, 230-kV transmission line will be constructed to connect the electricity generated to the BC Hydro grid. The project will deliver electricity on the basis of a 40-year electricity purchase agreement.

Site preparation has been completed at the two powerhouses, and access roads have been built. Both the downstream tunnel portal at Boulder Creek and the diversion channel at the Upper Lillooet intake structure are underway. Downstream tunnel drilling and blasting has started, and drilling and blasting continues at the Boulder Creek facility. Approximately half of the transmission line has been completed so that temporary back-fed power can be used to support construction activities and the temporary camp facility for project workers.

The construction has been scheduled from October 2013 to the end of 2017, when commercial operation is expected to commence.

Project Owner: Creek Power Inc.—Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (66.67 per cent) and Ledcor Power Group (33.33 per cent)

Project/Construction Manager: Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.

Contractor: CRT Construction and EBC Inc. JV (main); Westpark Electric Ltd.

Other Key Players: Hatch (lender’s engineer); INTECH Risk Management (insurance advisor); Lil’wat First Nation; McElhanney (survey/geomatics services); Aon (risk advisory and insurance placement on behalf of owner); Golder Associates (geotechnical); Armtec

Financiers & Banks: The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (agent and lead lender); Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec and the Canada Life Assurance Company (lenders)

Legal: McCarthy Tétrault LLP (advising Creek Power)

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