Waneta Dam

Waneta Dam
Coordinates 49°00′15″N 117°36′42″W / 49.0041°N 117.6116°W / 49.0041; -117.6116Coordinates: 49°00′15″N 117°36′42″W / 49.0041°N 117.6116°W / 49.0041; -117.6116
Opening date 1954[1]
Operator(s) Teck Resources (66% Owner)[2], BC Hydro (33% Owner)
Dam and spillways
Impounds Pend d'Oreille
Height 76 metres (249 ft)[1]
Power Station
Installed capacity 490 MW
Annual generation 1,980.7 GWh[3]

Waneta Dam is a concrete gravity-type hydroelectric dam on the Pend d'Oreille River 9 km downstream from Seven Mile Dam in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It supplies electric power to Teck Resources metallurgical operations at Trail, British Columbia and for BC Hydro which since 2010 has a 1/3 ownership of the facility.[4] It is located near the mouth of the Pend d'Oreille River just before it empties into the Columbia River, slightly north of the Canada–United States border. The powerplant currently has four units and has a capacity of 450 megawatts.[1]

BC Hydro Purchase

In 2010, BC Hydro purchased a one-third interest in the Waneta Dam from Teck Resources for a price of $825 million[5]

On August 1st, 2017, BC Hydro announced its intention to purchase the remaining two-thirds interest in the dam from Teck for a price of $1.2 billion.[5]. Teck's Trail, British Columbia smelter will continue to use two-thirds of the electricity generated by the dam, continuing the terms of the previous agreement.

As of Spring 2018, the sale of the remaining two-thirds is subject to review and approval from the BC Utilities Commission.

Waneta Expansion

Construction of a separate two-unit powerplant commenced in Winter of 2010/11 to increase the dam's generating capacity by an additional 335 megawatts. This project, Waneta Expansion, is a partnership, with Fortis Inc. holding a 51% share in the project and the two Crown agencies Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust holding a 32.5% and 16.5% share, respectively. SNC-Lavalin designed and built the project which came online in 2015.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Waneta Dam, Balance of Power
  2. ↑ Generation, FortisBC
  3. ↑ http://carma.org/plant/detail/48860
  4. ↑ Hydroelectric Plants in Canada - British Columbia, Power Plants around the World
  5. 1 2 "BC Hydro plan to purchase remaining two-third interest in Waneta Dam will keep rates affordable". www.bchydro.com. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
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