BC Hydro has completed a project to install new 500kV switchgear equipment at its Mica Generating Station, improving safety and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the Canadian facility.
The project replaced aging 37-year-old switchgear equipment that has been in use since the Mica powerhouse was constructed in the 1970s, and installed new equipment needed for the two new generating units currently under construction. The project ran from 2009 to 2014.
The photo above shows crews installing the new equipment at Mica's above-ground switchgear building. One challenge was to install conductors in three narrow 183-to-305m long tunnels from the underground generating units to the above-ground switchgear building. A small cart on rails was used to transport workers up and down each tunnel.
