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Site C main civil works contract to create thousands of construction jobs, business opportunities for B.C.

Preferred proponent named for single largest construction contract for Site C

VANCOUVER – BC Hydro has selected Peace River Hydro Partners as the preferred proponent for the Site C main civil works contract. Peace River Hydro Partners include ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc., Petrowest Corporation and Samsung C&T Canada Ltd.

Main civil works is the largest single contract for the construction of the Site C project, and includes the construction of an earthfill dam, two diversion tunnels and a concrete foundation for the generating station and spillways.

Work under this contract is expected to create approximately 8,000 person-years of employment over the eight-year contract, along with business opportunities for local, regional and Aboriginal businesses. Approximately 1,500 people will be working on main civil works at the peak of construction.

To meet the demand for jobs and business opportunities, BC Hydro is planning a series of job fairs and business-to-business networking sessions in early 2016. The sessions will provide an opportunity for local, regional and Aboriginal businesses and job seekers to meet the main civil works preferred proponent and other contractors.

A rigorous evaluation process concluded that Peace River Hydro Partners has a strong delivery record for projects of a similar size and nature and best met BC Hydro's requirements for the Site C main civil works contract.

BC Hydro issued a Request for Qualifications in April 2014 and shortlisted four proponent teams to provide proposals for the main civil works contract. BC Hydro received proposals from all four teams in October 2015. A contract is expected to be awarded by early 2016. The proposal by Peace River Hydro Partners is within the budget established by BC Hydro, and is included in the $8.335 billion cost estimate for Site C.

While main civil works is the largest contract for Site C, other upcoming major construction contracts include: turbines and generators, generating station and spillways, Highway 29 realignment, and substation and transmission lines.

Quotes:

Premier Christy Clark -
"The Site C project is creating thousands of jobs for our province, as well as significant opportunities for apprenticeships, skills training, and business contracts. As B.C.'s diverse economy continues to grow, Site C is part of our vision to meet long-term energy needs, providing clean, renewable and affordable electricity for generations."

Hon. Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Core Review -
"I'm very pleased to see the Site C project continuing to make good progress with the selection of a preferred proponent for main civil works. This work is significant and it is going to create jobs and business opportunities for people and businesses across British Columbia."

Jessica McDonald, President and CEO, BC Hydro -
"We are pleased to see a strong response to the procurement of the main civil works contract, and are encouraged by the competitive pricing of the preferred proponent. The rigorous competitive selection process has reconfirmed the project budget for the largest Site C contract, and has also ensured we got the best value for our customers."

Hon. Mike Bernier, MLA, Peace River South -
"Main civil works is the single largest work package for Site C and it will provide jobs and economic benefits for the Peace region. I look forward to seeing a contract award soon and the start of construction of the earthfill dam. This is a very good achievement for the project."

Pat Pimm, MLA, Peace River North -
"It's good to see the main civil works preferred proponent selected and I look forward to seeing the job fairs and business networking sessions take place early in 2016. As the single biggest work component of the project, main civil works is expected to provide many business and job opportunities for the region."

Rick Quigley, Peace River Hydro Partners -
"Peace River Hydro Partners are excited to be part of building a legacy project that will benefit British Columbians for generations to come. Our partnership has strong roots in Fort St. John, and I'm proud to be a part of the team building a clean energy project in the same community in which I live and work. We look forward to working closely with local workers and First Nations communities to maximize the economic opportunity for families in the Peace region."

Quick Facts:

  • Construction of the project will contribute $3.2 billion to the provincial economy.
  • The main civil works contract comprises the majority of earthworks required to construct the Site C project, including:
    • Approximately 32 million cubic metres of excavation for structures, including the approach channel and tailrace.
    • River diversion works, including construction of two 10.8 metre internal diameter concrete-lined tunnels between 700 metres to 800 metres in length, and associated cofferdams and intake and outlet structures.
    • Earthfill dam – central core zoned earth embankment approximately 1,050 metres long and 60 metres above the present river level.
    • A roller-compacted concrete buttress – approximately 800 metres in length to a maximum height of 70 metres.
    • Significant ancillary works such as a permanent network of site roads, site drainage and debris handling facilities.
    • Once built, Site C will provide clean, reliable and affordable electricity for more than 100 years. It will provide enough electricity to power the equivalent of about 450,000 homes per year.

For more information:

Sam Oliphant, Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
250 952 7252

Jake Jacobs, Media Relations
Ministry of Energy and Mines
250 952 0628

BC Hydro Media Relations
604 928 6468

Learn more:

Site C Clean Energy Project
Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan

 

Backgrounder: Peace River Hydro Partners

Peace River Hydro Partners is a partnership between ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc., Petrowest Corporation, and Samsung C&T Canada Ltd.

ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc.

ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc. is a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of ACCIONA S.A., which stands as a leader in the fields of infrastructure development, renewable energy (including hydroelectric dams), water, and services. ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada has been operating in Canada since 2001 and headquartered in Vancouver since 2006 and has offices in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal.

ACCIONA's project experience includes: Fort St. John Hospital (Fort St. John, B.C.), Southeast Stoney Trail Project (Calgary, AB), Autoroute 30 Extension Project (Quebec), Rialb Dam Project (Spain), Ralco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project (Chile), and the Mularroya Dam Project (Spain).

Get more information about ACCIONA  

Petrowest Corporation

Petrowest Corporation was established in 2006 upon the acquisition of Quigley Contracting, which was established in B.C. in 1990 by Rick Quigley, a lifelong resident of Fort St. John. The Petrowest group of companies operates out of Northeast B.C. and Western Canada. Petrowest houses four divisions in Fort St. John. Publicly-traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Petrowest is involved with industrial and civil infrastructure projects.

Petrowest’s project experience includes: Site C Clean Energy Project — sub-contracted to work on the workers’ lodge and site preparation (Fort St. John, B.C.), Fort St. John Hospital (Fort St. John, B.C.), Spectra Energy Dawson Creek (Dawson Creek, B.C.), and the Highway 43 Twinning Project (Sturgeon Lake, AB).

Get more information about Petrowest  

Samsung C&T Canada Ltd.

Samsung C&T Canada is a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of Korea-based Samsung C&T Corporation. Samsung is experienced in engineering, construction, trading, and investing, including the construction of hydroelectric dams, roads, buildings, tunnels, bridges, and airports.

Samsung's project experience includes: Armow Wind Project (Ontario), Grand Renewable Wind BOP EPC (Ontario), Grand Renewable T/L EPC (Ontario), South Kent Wind (Ontario), Kingston Solar (Ontario), Youngju Multi-Purpose Dam Project (Korea), Roy Hill Project (Australia), Trung Son Dam Project (Vietnam), and Dhauliganga Dam (India).

Samsung C&T Canada Ltd. has been operating in Canada since 2012.

Get more information about Samsung C&T Canada Ltd.

Media enquiries for Peace River Hydro Partners: 604 202 5251 or email media@prhp.ca

Backgrounder: Commitment to local economy and jobs

Peace River Hydro Partners (PRHP) are committed to providing economic opportunity throughout the project to the residents and businesses of the Peace region, with a particular focus on local jobs training and apprenticeships. PRHP expects to have up to 600 people working on construction of the Site C Clean Energy Project (Site C) by May 2016, and up to 1,500 workers at peak construction in mid-2018, in addition to jobs such as component manufacturing, transportation and related services.

Peace River Hydro Partners and their subcontractors are committed to:

  1. Hiring local workers throughout the lifecycle of the project
    • Jobs on Site C will include: machine operators, tunnelers, carpenters, construction supervisors, surveyors, engineers, electrical and mechanical professionals, labourers and administrators.
    • PRHP partners ACCIONA and Petrowest have a proven track record of hiring local workers and contractors on the Fort St. John Hospital project.
  2. Providing training opportunities, including apprenticeships, to local residents in order to build a skilled labour force and long-term capacity for future projects in the region
    • During the Fort St. John Hospital Project, PRHP partner ACCIONA worked with Northern Lights College to set up training programs in the region.
  3. Posting Site C jobs to websites in British Columbia, by specifying job locations in the Peace region, so that local employees can access jobs easily.
  4. Holding local events to meet in person with workers and local and Aboriginal businesses to discuss project opportunities and encourage local participation.
    • PRHP will hold job fairs with BC Hydro in order to highlight employment opportunities to the local workforce.

Peace River Hydro Partners will be working with CLAC (Christian Labour Association Canada) and CMAW (Construction Maintenance and Allied Workers Canada) on this contract. Consistent with BC Hydro’s managed open site approach, PRHP will be working with other union and non-union groups on Site C opportunities.

About Peace River Hydro Partners

Peace River Hydro Partners is a partnership between Petrowest Corporation, ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc. and Samsung C&T Canada Ltd.

  • ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada Inc. has been operating in Canada since 2001 and headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. since 2006. Recently it completed the Fort St. John Hospital, in partnership with Petrowest.
  • Petrowest Corporation was established in 2006, upon the acquisition of Quigley Contracting which was established in B.C. in 1990 by Rick Quigley, a lifelong resident of Fort St. John. The Petrowest group of companies operates out of Northeast B.C. and Western Canada. Petrowest houses four divisions in Fort St. John.
  • Samsung C&T Canada Ltd. has been operating in Canada since 2012.

Media enquiries for Peace River Hydro Partners: 604 202 5251 or email media@prhp.ca