Problems with the nearly 60-year-old Taltson hydro station continue to mount and now the NWT Power Corporation says the power plant will be out of service until at least January 2025.
The overhaul of the unit is already close to a year beyond its intended completion date of November 2023. Last summer's wildfire season complicated matters further by causing a seven-week evacuation of the site.
"While recommissioning was underway earlier this year, contractors working on the project identified a significant alignment issue within the unit that had to be resolved before it could be safely and reliably returned to service," states an Aug. 28 news release issued through the utility's Hay River office. "Engineers and hydro experts from both within the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) as well as from external sources have been working to resolve the issue over the past several months but have been unsuccessful.
"As a result, the return to service of Taltson hydro will be delayed until the unit can be disassembled to allow for the proper realignment of key components. It is expected that this work will take approximately five months to complete, with Taltson hydro expected to return to service in January 2025."
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Along with an expanding timeline comes escalating costs. While NTPC stated the project had initially been on budget at an estimated $60 million to $70 million, the costs are now at approximately $97 million. This is including the fuel being purchased and burned during the hydro station's down-time.
NTPC notes the additional costs will be trickled down to consumers gradually across the territory.
"Some of the costs will be included in NTPCSA国际影视传媒檚 next general rate application but full cost recovery will be spread over time so that customers today are not expected to pay all the costs for a project that will support reliable power supply for many decades," the power corporation's news relase reads.
NTPC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NT Hydro, which, in turn, is 100 per cent owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Constructed in 1965 to support the Pine Point mine, the 18 megawatt Taltson hydro station has been an important part of the South Slave power grid since 1986.
