Pehonan Hydroelectric Project

1. How big is this project?
 The proposed project will generate approximately 250 megawatts of clean renewable power into the Saskatchewan power grid, enough electricity to power approximately 80,000 homes.

2. When will construction start and how long will it take to complete?
Proposed Development Schedule 

2006 – 2010  Establishing First Nations partnership, relationship building, pre-feasibility work and preliminary site selection study 
2010 – 2012 Feasibility Studies and stakeholder and First Nations consultation
2013 – 2014 Final Design and Permitting
2015 Procurement/Site Preparation
2016 – 2018 Construction, Interconnection and Commissioning
2018 Full Project Operation

We are entering the feasibility stage of the development which is expected to take 2-3 years to complete. If the early stage results are positive and the project is economically and environmentally viable, we would expect to enter the advanced stage of development within 2-3 years. Once construction starts it will take 3-4 years to build.

3. Will there be an Environmental Impact Assessment and how long will this process take?
Yes, as with any hydro or wind project, we will conduct an environmental assessment following the provincial and federal guidelines. It will take approximately 2-3 years.

4. At what point does the Environmental Assessment start? Does it start during the feasibility stage?
The environmental assessment process will start within one year of the commencement of the feasibility stage.

5. What kind of direct and spin-off jobs would a project like this generate?
There will be jobs during the feasibility stage to assist with site and environmental assessments, and during construction, procurement, and on-going service and training opportunities.
The key benefits include: 
  • spending on goods and services during construction and operation; 
  • creation of temporary and permanent local jobs;
  • increased municipal tax revenue;
  • owning a portion of the asset will deliver a financial return to the First Nations communities when the project is in operation; and 
  • supply of safe, pollution-free energy.
Jobs would be created by the major contractors on this project, based on skills and experience.

6. Who will be the General Contractor for construction?
Kiewit is the designated construction partner for the project.

7. How many jobs will be created at peak construction and once operational?
The number of jobs will be confirmed as an outcome of the feasibility stage.

8. Will this hydro facility be similar to the one in Nipawin?
The pre-feasibility study for the project utilized Nipawin characteristics to evaluate potential project sites. The outcome of the feasibility stage will confirm the project design.

9. What will be the generating capacity and how much “head” will there be? How many turbines will there be and how much would each produce?
The Pehonan Hydroelectric Project will produce about 250 megawatts of clean renewable power. The head is estimated to be approximately 34 meters. It is still too early in the development stage to identify how many turbines will be used for the project.

10. What kind of river flows do you anticipate in the first 25 years and perhaps later on in the life of this project?
We anticipate the flow regime 25 years from now to be consistent with historical data.

11. Is this a run-of-river project?
Yes, it is a run of the river project which uses the rivers natural flows to generate power

12. Will the proposed Pehonan River run-of-river hydroelectric facility affect the river’s fish populations?
The protection of fish populations in the Saskatchewan River watershed is a high priority for the partnership. Project design, construction and operation will be conducted in a manner that maintains fish habitat and aquatic productivity. We will work closely with federal and provincial agencies, First Nations and stakeholder groups throughout the project planning and assessment stages to ensure that all potential environmental impacts are identified and addressed during project design and implementation.

13. Will there be any new roads constructed?
It is likely that new roads will be constructed for the project. All road upgrades and new access roads will be constructed under permit and in accordance with provincial standards.

14. What environmental impacts will result from building the project?
During the project planning stage, the partnership will identify and assess environmental and socio-community impacts that must be addressed during design and construction. In addition, project development will proceed according to a detailed environmental management plan that sets out mitigation measures to be followed at each stage of construction. An environmental management plan will also be developed for implementation during project operation and maintenance.

15. Can you store the electricity?
No, since the Pehonan Hydroelectric Project will be a run-of-river facility, it will not involve the creation of a reservoir and therefore will not be able to store water to generate electricity later.

image
© 2012 Pehonan Hydroelectric