BC Hydro: New transmission line energized

GOLDEN – - GOLDEN – A new 112-kilometre transmission line is providing reliable electrical service to communities from Invermere to Field in the upper Columbia Valley this winter.

The Columbia Valley Transmission line was energized in the autumn 2012 after a two-year construction period. The project cost $114 million and created 150 construction jobs and business opportunities for local contractors, suppliers and First Nations.

The project included:

· Construction of a 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting the existing Invermere Substation to the new Kicking Horse Substation on the west side of the Columbia River near Golden

· Construction of a 69-kilovolt transmission line connecting the new Kicking Horse Substation with the existing Golden Substation and,

· Expansion of the existing Invermere and Golden substations and modifications to Cranbrook substation.

Greg Reimer, Executive Vice President, Transmission and Distribution, for BC Hydro says, "The Columbia Valley Transmission project is a significant engineering feat that has been four years in the making. It entailed designing and building a route that safely crosses through one of B.C.Â’s most mountainous regions, avoiding avalanche areas, while minimizing the footprint on sensitive wildlife habitat." FACTS

· The project entailed building close to 500 wooden transmission structures – each up to 25 metres tall and weighing up to 5,800 kilograms – in one of British Columbia’s most rugged areas.

· Work crews strung more than 100 kilometres of aluminum and steel-reinforced aluminum conductor that will be able to withstand ice accumulation in an area known for extreme weather.

· Helicopters were used to install the H-frame structures and to string the electrical wires.

· The project budget was $154 million. The final cost was $40 million under budget at $114 million.

· The project received approval form the British Columbia Utilities Commission in September 2010.

· For more information on the Columbia Valley Transmission project please visit www.bchydro.com/cvt.