For decades BC Hydro has been among the top two or three buyers of construction and related supplies in the province.
For decades BC Hydro has been among the top two or three buyers of construction and related supplies in the province. Looking at forecasts presented recently to the Vancouver Regional Construction Association, there is no doubt Hydro will continue to hold a spot near the top.
The presentation was made by Hydro’s chief procurement officer, Dan Olsen.
BC Hydro is currently involved in a wide ranging review of its procurement procedures that has some members of the construction industry concerned.
Among other things, said Olsen, the aim is to no longer be tied to a traditional bid system.
Hydro is planning to continue a system of issuing requests for proposals for specific jobs.
For other areas, however, he said that traditional bidding will continue to be the rule of the day.
The numbers Hydro is forecasting for construction in the immediate future are large.
They are predicting capital expenditures of $1.92 billion next year and $1.90 billion in 2012.
The money is spread over an impressive list of projects.
Much further down the road – if ever – is the much talked about Site C Dam on the Peace River a few kilometres east of two existing dams.
It is a proposal that has been buffeted by political controversy for years.
There are objections from the environmental community, as well as from local farmers and First Nations communities.
Existing reports estimate the possible cost of the dam at between $5 billion and $6.6 billion.
However, those figures are dated and the actual budget for Site C, if it goes ahead, will be much larger.
Even aside from Site C, Hydro has an extensive list of smaller projects that are either underway or soon will start construction.
They include:
• Distribution work:
There are some new areas and projects that will require new Hydro line systems. Among them are the new Port Mann and Highway #1 project; the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange. The work involves plant relocations and upgrades. This will be a two-year contract with a value of $4.5 million.
• Vancouver city central transmission project.
As part of the project, there will be a new enclosed substation underground near David Lam Garden in the Chinatown area. It involves a drilled crossing under False Creek and 8.2 kilometres of new underground 230 kV transmission circuits. Work is underway and the system will be in service by 2012.
• Northwest transmission line project.
This will provide a 335 kilometre 287kV line from Terrace to Bob Quinn lake in northwestern B.C. It also involves a new Bob Quinn substation and an expanded Skeena substation. Proponents from a request for proposal have been short listed. Construction is to start next year.
• Interior to Lower Mainland transmission project. This will involve a new 255 kV line between Merritt and Coquitlam. The majority of the line will parallel an existing 500 kV transmission line. Construction is to start next year and be in service in 2014.
• Columbia Valley transmission. This will be a 120 kilometre 230kV line from Kicking Horse to Invermere. Construction will start in 2011.
• Dawson Creek/Chetwynd area transmission.
This is the first part of a larger project considered critical to natural gas development. Construction will start in 2012.
• Ruskin redevelopment. This is a planned refurbishment of the historic Ruskin power plant near Mission. Among many other items it would involve rebuilding the top port of the concrete dam and refurbishing the existing powerhouse. Pending regulatory approval Hydro hopes to start construction in 2012 and finish in 2014.
• John Hart dam and power plant.
This facility, near Campbell River, opened in 1947. The project will include seismic upgrades to the dam and a full replacement of the powerhouse. Construction is expected to start in 2012 and wrap up in 2016.
• GM Shrum powerhouse. This is the large power plant that is part of the WAC Bennett Dam near Fort St. John. A wide series of upgrades are required.
• Spillway gate program.
This will involve refurbishing or replacing existing spillway gates at 22 sites over three phases.
• A smart metering and infrastructure program:
This will involve installing advanced meters that capture and transmit power consumption data. About 1.8 million residential and commercial customers will receive the new meters.
• Downtown Vancouver redevelopment.
This is described as a master program guiding a number of distinct programs. The redevelopment will help manage congestion, replace aging assets, improve reliability and public safety and being to move to automation.
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