Site C work camp to be repurposed for northern B.C. transmission project | CBC News
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B.C. Hydro says it will relocate and repurpose most of its massive Site C work camp to support the construction of a major new power transmission line across northern B.C.
The Crown utility announced Friday about 85 per cent of the work camp will be dismantled this spring and moved to several sites across the region to support construction of the North Coast Transmission Line.
“This outcome is a win-win for British Columbians,” Energy Minister Adrian Dix said in a news release.
“Repurposing the Site C camp not only prevents unnecessary waste but saves money and time, while supporting a project that will generate significant economic benefits for our province.”
Construction on the transmission line is expected to begin this summer, and will power a planned floating liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal in northwestern B.C.
B.C. Hydro says the work camp at Site C on the Peace River near Fort St. John will close on March 31.
The camp’s 21 three-storey dorms as well as a construction site office and other infrastructure will be moved to locations between Prince George and Terrace.
In 2016, a 1,700-person work camp opened at the Site C dam near Fort St. John in northeastern B.C.
B.C. Hydro says negotiations are continuing with other organizations that have expressed interest in repurposing parts of the Site C work camp, including a movie theatre and gymnasium.
The camp opened in 2016 to support construction of the Site C hydroelectric dam, the third on the Peace River in northeastern B.C., which became fully operational last year.
Last April, it was reported the camp, which cost $470 million to construct and operate, could be headed to the local landfill if other uses for it weren’t found.
That caught local governments by surprise, who expressed concern over the costs associated with the massive amount of materials which would fill up the landfill far sooner than planned, taking years off of its life.
B.C. Hydro president and CEO Charlotte Mitha said reusing the camp will save time and money, and help meet construction timelines for the new transmission line.
“Our goal was to give the Site C camp a meaningful second life,” Mitha said in a statement.
“With Site C nearly complete and construction on the North Coast Transmission Line starting this summer, the timing is ideal.”
The North Coast Transmission Line will supply up to 600 megawatts to what proponents say will be Canada’s second-largest LNG facility.
The Ksi Lisims LNG project planned for Nisga’a Treaty territory on Pearse Island, north of Prince Rupert, is a proposed 12-million-tonne-per-year, floating LNG facility. It received environmental approvals from the provincial and federal governments in September.
B.C. Hydro says if the Ksi Lisims LNG project receives its final go-ahead, it would be the first major project on B.C.’s northern coast to connect to the transmission line, with full electrification expected for 2032, following the line’s completion.
Ksi Lisims LNG is still awaiting a final investment decision.
Dix previously told The Canadian Press that decision would not be possible if government had not been investing in infrastructure projects like the transmission line to supply clean electricity.
“Once operational, Ksi Lisims LNG is expected to generate $30 billion in investment, create thousands of skilled careers and strengthen Canada’s position as a global LNG exporter,” he said.
More to come.
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