Sixth and final turbine arrives at Mica Generating Station
The stainless steel turbine is 6.45 metres in diameter and weighs 137.5 tonnes – the equivalent weight of four humpback whales.
Mica was originally designed to hold six generating units, but only four were installed when the station was constructed in the 1970s. BC Hydro is now working to add two new generating units at Mica that will provide an additional 1,000 megawatts of capacity to the system. The new turbine will power the sixth generating unit currently under construction.
Andritz Hydro manufactured the turbine in Germany, and it was transported over 13,000 kilometres by sea, road and barge before arriving at Mica Generating Station in late October. The turbine for the fifth generating unit was delivered following the same route in June 2013.
Related News
N.W.T. green energy advocate urges using more electricity for heat
HAY RIVER - A Northwest Territories green energy advocate says there's an obvious way to expand demand for electricity in the territory's South Slave region without relying on new mining developments — direct it toward heating.
One of the reasons the N.W.T. has always had some of the highest electricity rates in Canada is that a small number of people have to shoulder the huge costs of hydro facilities and power plants.
But some observers point out that residents consume as much energy for heat as they do for conventional uses of electricity, such as lighting and powering appliances. Right now almost…
