The new Woodfibre LNG plant proposed near Squamish will need much more power to service it and BC Hydro is looking for feedback from governments and local residents on which of three proposals is preferred.
BC Hydro project manager Sue Foster told Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors last week that the power corporation has until March 2017 to provide increased electricity to the plant, however, it wants to select a preferred alternative this spring.
“The three alternatives are actually quite similar,” said Foster, noting each option has a temporary and a permanent solution, during the Feb. 26 SCRD corporate and administrative services committee.
Each temporary solution would require “thermal upgrades,” to the power line between the Cheekye substation (near Squamish) and Gibsons.
“All of the upgrades we call thermal upgrades and when I say thermal upgrades it could be replacing the poles or tightening the lines or reconducturing/recontouring,” Foster said, adding there are about 400 poles between the Cheekye substation and Gibsons.
In alternative one Foster said the temporary solution would upgrade the existing transmission line to 138 kV while the permanent solution would involve connecting the LNG facility to the 500 kV transmission line near the Woodfibre site and constructing a switching station on Woodfibre’s property.
In options two and three the temporary solution is the same: select sections of the transmission line would be upgraded to 230 kV between the Cheekye substation and the Woodfibre site and there would be an upgrading of the Cheekye substation.
The permanent solution in option two requires the most physical work. It calls for constructing a new substation on BC Hydro property near Port Mellon, converting sections of the transmission line to 230 kV, creating a point of interconnection switching station on Woodfibre’s property, constructing two interconnecting 230kV transmission lines to the switching station, upgrading the existing Cheekye and Malaspina substations and doing some upgrades to the existing 230 kV transmission line.
Finally, in the third option, the permanent solution would require connecting the LNG facility to the 500kV transmission line with two lines and constructing a switching station on Woodfibre’s property.
Foster said BC Hydro is leaning toward the first option, but added that decision was based on “very preliminary information.”
BC Hydro is currently completing studies in the following areas: environmental, archaeological, electric and magnetic fields, audible noise, visual aesthetics and radio interference.
Woodfibre is picking up the bill for the studies as well as paying for whatever electrical upgrade suggested by BC Hydro.
SCRD directors asked if there would be any possibility of Coasters losing power if there was a problem at the Woodfibre site in the future or if the thermal upgrades could cause issues for locals.
Foster said there were switches in place that would keep the Coast from being effected if there were power problems at the Woodfibre site and that she saw no concern with the thermal upgrades planned.
Directors asked her to look into the seismic stability of the three options pitched before they thanked her for her report, however, no recommendations were made.
BC Hydro will present their power plans to the public for feedback later this month.
There will be public open houses held in Gibsons on March 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gibsons and Area Community Centre and in Sechelt on March 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Seaside Centre.
