BC Hydro has finished a project to install new switchgear equipment at Mica Generating Station to ensure the plant continues to provide reliable energy for BC Hydro customers. The new switchgear equipment will also improve safety and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the facility.
A statement from the giant utility said the 500-kilovolt switchgear equipment delivers electricity from Mica’s generating units – located 183 metres underground – to above-ground transmission lines. The project replaced aging 37-year-old switchgear equipment that has been in use since the Mica powerhouse was constructed in the 1970s, and installed new equipment needed for the two new generating units currently under construction.
So far, BC Hydro’s projects underway at Mica have created nearly 1.5 million person hours of temporary work since 2009. All labour was hired through the Columbia Hydro Constructors agreement that gives preference to Columbia Basin residents and has equity hire provisions for First Nations and minority groups.
