After 20 Years of Planning, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Construct Granite Canal Hydroelectric Station

---

Researched by Industrailinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro started construction of the 40 mega-watt (MW) Granite Hydroelectric Station on May 25, 2001. Planning for the project started in the early 1980's and all the necessary approvals were finalized late in 1999.

Three major contracts were awarded to build the new hydroelectric power station. The engineering and management contract was awarded to AGRA-BAE Newplan Joint Venture; the general/civil contract was awarded to McNamara Construction Company and the water-to-wire contract to General Electric Hydro (Canada). The powerhouse enclosure completion is planned for the spring of 2002 with a proposed in-service date of June 2003.

The plant will be located between Granite Lake and Meelpaeg Reservoirs and will utilize a vertical axis Kaplan turbine to generate 40MW of electricity and feed into a 230kV transmission line. The project, which will cause no new flooding, also calls for two canals and an underground steel penstock. Environmental issues to be addressed include water quality measures, caribou protection, fish habitat replacement, vegetation, erosion controls and waste disposal. Upon completion, station operations will be remotely controlled using microwave technology to communicate with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's energy control center in St. Johns, Newfoundland.