The award winning Sechelt Creek project is a 16 MW facility designed, developed and built by Regional Power. It is located on the Sunshine Coast, near Sechelt, BC.
Sechelt Creek Generating Station
The Sechelt facility is a run-of-the river facility, located on Sechelt Creek, which runs into Salmon Inlet about 30 km northeast of Sechelt, British Columbia and about 70 km northwest of Vancouver.
The Sechelt Facility has an installed capacity of 16 MW and has operated since 1997.
The Sechelt Facility has two vertical Pelton turbine/generator sets of 8 MW each and a gross operating head of 343 meters. The water flow through the units – which can reach up to six cubic meters per second – is regulated by eight needle valves.
These valves actuate open and closed to maintain a static water level at the intake that allows for the optimization of operating head, de-sanding channel performance and low impact operations. The turbines were built by Alstom at their Granby Quebec facility.
Sechelt Creek sells all its electricity to BC Hydro under a long term contract.
It supplies enough electricity for a community of 9,000 homes.
Specifications
- capacity of 16 MW run of the river
- “Greenfield” development
- powered by 340 meters of hydraulic head,
- 4.2km penstock,
- Plant flow of 6 cubic meters per second
- remote site – accessible only by boat or plane
A Successful Remote Site Development
In designing the Sechelt Creek development, Regional incorporated and used existing infrastructure – forestry roads, existing transmission line and docking facilities.
The remote location presented construction challenges – transportation by barges or boat.
A unique double intake structure, high up in the valley collects water from Jackson Creek and Sechelt Creek.
A 4.2 Km steel penstock was built down the side of the mountain and buried for its full length except at the two creek crossings
Powerhouse incorporates 2 vertical 8.3 MW Pelton units, which can operate to meet variable stream flows with high efficiencies.
Sechelt Spawning Channel
As part of the Sechelt development, a very successful salmon spawning channel was installed. The installation was in cooperation with Canadian Forest Limited, Department of Fisheries and Ocean and The Sechelt (shíshálh) First Nation.
Sediment from the channel was removed and replaced with native gravels.
This 400 metre spawning channel is first of its kind established in connection with a small hydro-electric generating facility in British Columbia.
The Spawning Channel is fed by clean regulated water from the tailrace of Sechelt Generating Station.
Environmental Stewardship
Sechelt Generating Station is used as an educational tool to teach environmental stewardship
Knowledge Network features Sechelt Creek Generating Station as a Greenfield Hydroelectric Development under its Small Hydro Segment.
Malaspina University-College Energy and Climate Change “The Importance of Reaching the Public” http://web.mala.bc.ca/earle/sechelt-creek/ re: Sechelt Generating Station – An Example of Environmentally Friendly Greenfield Hydroelectric Power Generation (Curtsey: Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo-British Columbia; Site Visit: September 2003)