Energy infrastructure firm AltaGas Ltd has announced the start of waterflow at its 195MW Forrest Kerr run-of-river hydroelectric facility in British Columbia, Canada, with the company expecting the project to generate first power in mid-2014 subject to the availability of the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL).
"We are very close to starting up our Forrest Kerr facility and providing clean energy to the BC electricity grid," said David Cornhill, chairman and CEO of AltaGas. "The contribution from our dedicated staff, the Tahltan First Nation and our contractors during the past four years of construction has been nothing short of phenomenal."
The project's weir, intake structure, desanding area and radial gate control valve have all been commissioned. As part of the final phases of commissioning, water will fill the power tunnel gradually over a seven-day period in preparation for full speed no load testing on the turbines and supporting auxiliary systems. AltaGas will also start commissioning the powerhouse using on-site generation.
Once the NTL is available, commissioning to tie Forrest Kerr into the transmission line will begin.
Photo: Forrest Kerr run-of-river hydroelectric facility during construction (Source: AltaGas)
