BC Hydro has completed commissioning of the fifth generating unit at the Site C dam, marking one of the final stages before the project is fully operational.
With this milestone reached, attention now turns to the sixth and last generating unit, which is currently undergoing testing. BC Hydro expects it to come online by fall.
Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said the fifth unit’s completion is a key step toward delivering more clean and affordable power across the province. He also acknowledged the work of the Site C team in reaching this stage.
Site C began producing electricity in October 2024 with the first unit. Subsequent units were brought online in December, February, and March. Each unit adds more than 180MW of generating capacity, enough to power about 80,000 homes.
Once all six units are running, Site C will add roughly 1100MW of capacity to the provincial grid and increase BC Hydro’s total electricity supply by about 8% The project is expected to generate about 5100GWhof electricity per year.
Site C is the third dam on the Peace River in northeast British Columbia. The project includes an earthfill dam about 1050m long and 60m high, a roller compacted concrete buttress for seismic safety, a generating station with six units, and an 83km reservoir that averages two to three times the width of the current river.
