Ontario Power Generation awards $100 million contract to rebuild Canadian 103-year-old hydro plant

• 4 years ago (2020-06-23)
• David Flin

Hydropower 116 North America 1004

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Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has awarded a $100 million contract to a joint venture of SNC-Lavalin and M Sullivan & Son for the second phase of redevelopment and repowering of the Calabogie Generating Station. Calabogie was damaged by a tornado two years ago, and was already near the end of its operational life.

The contract has a value of over $100 million, with work beginning in June, and scheduled to be completed in the middle of 2022. The scope of the work includes: decommissioning of the existing 5MW powerhouse, excavation of the forebay and tailrace, and construction of a new two-unit powerhouse with a capacity of almost 11MW.

The Calabogie Generating Station was built in 1917, and has generated hydropower from the Madawaska River up until 2018. Ontario Power Generation had already decided, prior to the September 2018 tornado, that it was more cost-effective to rebuild the power station than repair or refurbish it.