Newell Substation upgrade
Replacing aging equipment at Newell Substation
We’re upgrading the Newell Substation so we can continue to provide reliable electricity to the 58,000 customers served by the substation.
What we're planning
We’re planning to remove old outdoor equipment that’s in poor condition and replace it with modern, gas insulated switchgear (GIS) equipment housed in a new building. We’ll also remove one of three transformers at the substation as it’s also in poor condition and reaching end-of-life. These upgrades will ensure that Newell substation can continue to provide reliable electricity supply to residents, businesses, and other substations.
After the upgrades are complete, we will landscape the site where required.
Newell Substation is located at the corner of Kingsway Avenue and Griffith Drive in Burnaby. It was built in stages from 1946 to 1955. The substation is connected to seven other substations and serves about 58,000 transmission and distribution customers (approximately 66% residential, 24% commercial, and 11% industrial). Newell Substation takes electricity from transmission lines at a higher voltage and converts it to the lower voltage required to supply substation customers.
The new GIS building will be located on either the southeast or northeast corner of the substation site (see figure on next page). As the figure shows, the southeast option is partially located on BC Hydro property outside the fence line.
The equipment labelled 50/60 Series and T1 and shown in the red squares inside the substation fence line on the figure will be removed.
The new building hasn’t been designed yet but we anticipate that it will be like other new or planned GIS buildings. A new GIS building at Barnard Station (left) and a planned GIS building at Mainwaring Substation (right) are shown below.
We’re in the planning phase of the project and the expected in-service date is December 2027. The schedule for site preparation and construction will be determined once a location for the new building is selected.
This upgrade will provide increased reliability to the electrical system and replace aging equipment that's nearing end-of-life. It will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of the substation’s service area and prepare for future growth in the area.
Share your feedback
You can share your feedback with us about this project by email or by calling 604 623 4472, or toll free at 1 866 647 3334.