The Taltson hydro facility has returned to service after several months offline for repairs to a corroded surge tank, restoring primary electricity supply to communities in the South Slave region of Canada’s Northwest Territories.
Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC), and Cory Strang, President and CEO of NTPC, announced that the Taltson hydro unit is again providing primary power to customers in Fort Smith, Fort Resolution and Hay River, as well as to Naka Power Utility customers across the South Slave region.
The generating unit had been offline since summer 2025 after corrosion in the facility’s 60-year-old surge tank was found to be more extensive than previously expected. The unit had initially been shut down for scheduled annual maintenance and to complete outstanding work from the Taltson Overhaul Project.
An inspection in late July identified the extent of the corrosion issue, requiring the hydro unit to remain offline until repairs could be completed and the facility could be safely returned to service. A remediation plan was developed and repair work was completed in early March 2026.
The Taltson Overhaul Project received more than C$17.8 million in federal funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). Final costs for the overhaul are still being assessed but are expected to total approximately C$101.9 million after federal funding is applied. The figure includes project costs as well as fuel and other operational expenses incurred to maintain electricity supply in the South Slave region while the hydro facility was offline.
The cost of the surge tank remediation project is currently estimated at about C$36 million, including the cost of fuel used during the shutdown.
NTPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NT Hydro, which is owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
“The return to service of Taltson marks an important milestone for NTPC. Despite the extended shutdowns over the past several years, the investments made in the hydro unit and supporting infrastructure will ensure that South Slave communities and customers will have access to clean hydropower for decades to come” said Cory Strang, President and CEO, Northwest Territories Power Corporation. “At a time of fast-rising diesel prices, the return to hydro is extremely helpful in keeping generation costs as low as possible.”
The Taltson hydroelectricfacility was constructed in 1965 to support operations at the Pine Point Mine. The plant has an installed capacity of 22MW, although additional transmission and distribution infrastructure would be required to deliver the full output to customers.
