FlatironDragados has signed an agreement with New Brunswick Power Corporation (NB Power) to deliver the first phase of the rehabilitation of the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Power Station in New Brunswick, Canada.
The company is leading the Mactaquac Rehabilitation Partnership, which also includes Aecon and Green Infrastructure Partners, under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model.
During a 12-month development phase, the partnership will work with NB Power to advance the design, planning and cost estimates for the project’s main elements. Subject to the successful completion of this phase and the necessary permits being obtained, a construction contract is expected to be finalised.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027, with completion planned for 2039.
The rehabilitation forms part of NB Power’s Mactaquac Life Extension Project, a long-term programme intended to extend the hydropower station’s operating life to 2068. The work will address deterioration caused by alkali-aggregate reaction through civil, mechanical, electrical and environmental upgrades while maintaining the safe and reliable operation of the facility.
Planned works include rehabilitation and reinforcement of the power station’s structures, including concrete repairs, leak control, modernisation of the generating building, rehabilitation of water intakes and discharge channels, and upgrades to spillways and gates.
The project will also include the replacement or rehabilitation of critical equipment and systems, including auxiliary mechanical and electrical systems, turbine and generator components, overhead cranes, maintenance gates (stoplogs) and other large-capacity mechanical equipment.
Environmental improvements are also planned, including upgrades to fish passage systems and other mitigation measures associated with the dam.
Commissioned in 1968, the Mactaquac Hydroelectric Power Station provides around 30% of the renewable electricity that New Brunswick is legally required to generate and supplies approximately 20% of the province’s peak electricity demand.
According to FlatironDragados, the collaborative delivery model will allow the project team and NB Power to work together during the development phase to optimise the project scope, manage risks, and improve schedule and cost certainty before construction begins.
