Vancouver Island

Journal of Commerce
KING LEE
CORRESPONDENT

Oct. 31, 2007

A proposed hydroelectric project to increase Vancouver Island’s power supply has prompted an environmental group to call for the provincial government to pause and think.

The Watershed Watch Salmon Society ***, based in Coquitlam, said it is worried about run-of-river hydroelectric projects in the wake of Kleana Power Corporation’s plan to build the Klinaklini River hydroelectric power station on the B.C. mainland coast, about 170 kilometres northeast of Campbell River.

Kleana began the formal process about a year ago while Plutonic Power has signed a $500-million construction deal to build the 196-megawatt, run-of-river East Toba-Montrose power station at the head of Bute Inlet by 2010.

The WWSS said that BC Hydro intends to acquire another 10,000 gigawatt hours of power, much of it from run-of-river projects, by 2015, so the time to be concerned is now.

Run-of-river hydropower diverts some of a river’s flow to power electricity-producing turbines and returns the water downstream.

The environmental group noted that terrestrial and aquatic footprints as well as construction costs are significant.

“Run-of-river hydropower is promoted in B.C. and elsewhere as an environmentally-friendly solution to humanity’s ever-increasing energy demands,” the WWSS’s web site stated.

“The rush to implement large-scale, run-of-river projects (sometimes called Independent Power Producer, or, IPP projects) has prompted queries and debate about what these projects portend for people and the environment.”

The Klinaklini River project will yield an average generating capacity of 280 MW with an ability to increase to 700 MW during peak periods.

Kleana is also proposing to build a 180-kilometre, 230-kV transmission line to link to Vancouver Island near Campbell River.

“People are getting overexcited about it,” said Dr. Alexander Eunall, president of Vancouver-based Kleana.

He said the project is in its preliminary stages and has admitted that his initial projected timetable of beginning construction by 2008 was too optimistic.

At the same time, BC Hydro is pondering the future of the 60-year-old John Hart generating station on the Campbell River.

The generating stations accounts for a quarter of the electricity used on Vancouver Island.

If a new generating plant is to be built adjacent to the old one, the power station must remain operational.