Prince George to Terrace Capacitors Project
What's new
As of late October 2022 we’ve started construction on two of the new capacitor stations: CAP1 near Vanderhoof and CAP2 near Burns Lake. We’re building the foundation for the transmission towers under the existing transmission right-of-way and then we’re clearing the area for the new stations after the new year.
The selection of the Design Build contractor for the new capacitor stations is a two-stage process. Stage 1 is a Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ) which is publicly bid. Stage 2 is a Request for Proposals (RFP) which will be open to the pre-qualified respondents ("Qualified Suppliers") only. The RFSQ was completed, and the following are the Qualified Suppliers:
- GEPR Energy Canada Inc.
- Hitachi Energy Canada Inc.
- Siemens Energy Canada Ltd.
The project involves constructing three new capacitor stations to increase the capacity along the 450-km, 500-kilovolt transmission line that runs between Prince George and northwest B.C.:
- One station near Vanderhoof;
- One station near Burns Lake;
- One station near Telkwa.
Two of the three capacitor station sites are owned by BC Hydro. They're located near Vanderhoof (CAP1) and Burns Lake (CAP2).
We'll also be adding a transformer to the Skeena Substation near Terrace to decrease the high voltage 500-kilovolt electricity to voltages suitable for downstream customers. The work is entirely within the substation fence and expansion is not required.
View project map [PDF, 5.3 MB]
A number of industries in the North Coast such as mining and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) developments have requested power from BC Hydro. We’re proposing to increase capacity along the existing 500-kilovolt transmission line between Prince George and Terrace to meet the customer needs.
Capacitor stations contain equipment to boost the amount of electricity that a transmission line can carry. These stations are fenced, outdoor facilities that need to be constructed on flat land, adjacent to or near the existing transmission line. By using capacitor stations we can significantly increase the capacity of the existing transmission line in a cost-effective, safe, and reliable way.
Project construction started in late October 2022 and the expected project in-service date is 2027/2028.
Reports and documents
- Project Map – 2022 March [PDF, 5.3 MB]
Contact us
If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact us at:
Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 623 4472
Toll free: 1 866 647 3334