Canadian electricity utility BC Hydro has named Peace River Hydro Partners as the preferred proponent for the main civil works construction of the 1.1GW Site C clean energy project in British Columbia.
Peace River Hydro Partners is a consortium comprising Acciona Infrastructure Canada, Petrowest and Samsung C&T Canada and is likely to win the contract, which is expected to be the largest single agreement for the development.
The chief civil constructions at the site will include building an earthfill dam, two diversion tunnels and a concrete foundation for the generating station and spillways.
The project has been estimated to cost approximately C$8.3bn ($6.23bn), and is expected to create around 8,000 years of employment during the construction phase.
Reuters cited BC Hydro as saying that the eight-year main civil works contract is likely to be worth more than C$1.5bn ($1.13bn) and be awarded by early 2016.
Acciona Canada president Darren Sokoloski said: "Our team at ACCIONA Infrastructure Canada is excited to be a part of building a legacy project for British Columbians that will provide clean energy for generations to come."
Once commissioned, the hydro power project is expected to provide sufficient power to meet the energy requirements of around 450,000 homes annually.
Other contracts will also be awarded for the project in its later stages, including those for turbines and generators, generating station and spillways, Highway 29 realignment, and substation and transmission lines.
British Columbia premier Christy Clark said: "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 BC’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."
Image: Civil works will involve constrution of an earthfill dam, two diversion tunnels and a concrete foundation for the generating station and spillways. Photo: courtesy of Acciona.
