195-MW B.C. hydro facility successfully completes final testing
by Cleantech Canada Staff
Forrest Kerr facility successfully completed 72-hour testing required to achieve commercial operation
CALGARY—A 195-megawatt run-of-river hydroelectric facility in northwestern British Columbia has completed the necessary testing to begin commercial operation.
AltaGas Ltd. said its Forrest Kerr facility in B.C. successfully completed the 72-hour testing required to achieve its commercial operation date under a power purchase agreement with BC Hydro.
The COD certificate has been delivered to BC Hydro, according to AltaGas.
“This is the last major milestone for the largest project in AltaGas’ history,” AltaGas chief operating officer David Harris said in a statement.
“The final test phase went as planned and Forrest Kerr has officially started delivering clean power to British Columbia.”
The $725-million facility captures energy produced by the natural flow and elevation drop of the Iskut River, which is then fed into B.C. grid through the Northwest Transmission Line (NTL), a 344-kilometre, 287-kilovolt project undertaken by BC Hydro.
Forrest Kerr has faced months-long delays after it was tied into the province’s grid in July.
After the NTL was placed into service on July 12, before connecting Forrest Kerr on July 30, AltaGas said it was “notified of constraints” to the line that made it unable “to take full load from Forrest Kerr until Sept. 3.”
The commercial operation of the facility was further hampered following “heavy rainfall and extraordinarily high water levels on the Iskut River” late last month.
AltaGas said it removed Forrest Kerr from service before restarting operations Oct. 11.
Forrest Kerr has a 60-year power purchase agreement with BC Hydro.
