Procurement for the proposed Site C hydroelectric dam on the Peace River could begin as early as a year from now - over a year before federal and provincial regulators are expected to rule on the controversial project.
B.C. Hydro, the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and local partners Initiatives Prince George, the Northern Development Initiative Trust and the Prince George Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session for businesses interested in bidding on portions of the proposed $7.9 billion project on Tuesday. B.C. Hydro Site C commercial manager Mike Savidant said the company intends to begin putting contracts in place for initial works - such as access roads and tree clearing - as early as late 2012 or early 2013.
"B.C. Hydro is really looking forward to a vibrant and competitive procurement process," Savidant said. "I'm confident there will be a significant amount of B.C. content in the project."
Savidant said companies in B.C., and especially Northern B.C., will have some advantages during the procurement process, but B.C. Hydro must "look for value for money for the rate payer."
Bidding on components of the dam project will be done through the B.C. Bids website, Savidant said, and businesses can register on B.C. Hydro's business directory to receive notification about projects as they go to tender.
B.C. Hydro project engineer Simon Douglas said the project will include a wide variety of
materials and expertise to build.
If approved, the project would create an estimated 7,000 person hours of employment over seven years.
Up to 1,700 workers will be employed directly on site at the peak of construction, Douglas said.
Building the dam will require the construction of cofferdams and two 9.8 metre-wide diversion tunnels between 700 and 800 metres long.
"Thirty-eight million cubic metres of material will need to be excavated," Douglas said.
Approximately 2.4 million cubic metres of roller-compacted concrete will be used to lay the foundation for the earth-filled dam - which will require 14 million cubic metres of earth and 830,000 cubic metres of conventional concrete to build.
"There will be large-scale clearing and timber removal at the site. A million cubic metres of merchantable timber will be
harvested," he said.
"Two 500-kilovolt transmission lines will deliver the power from the dam."
An existing transmission line right of way will have to be widened by 38 metres to accommodate the lines, Douglas said.
A total of 25 kilometres of Highway 29 will have to be restructured, including four new river crossings, he said.
Six turbines, with a combined capacity of 1,100 megawatts will be installed in the dam, he added.
Two construction camps, one on the north and one on the south bank of the Peace River, will need to be built and operated, he said.
"It's an enormous project," Initiatives Prince George president Tim McEwan said. "What we've been trying to do here today is get the word out ... and to continue to build the relationship with B.C. Hydro."
McEwan said Prince George is in a good position, as the largest city in Northern B.C., to capitalize on the project.
"We hope that a lot of businesses in Prince George will get registered for procurement opportunities," he said.
Northern Development Initiative Trust CEO Janine North said regional businesses will have cost and knowledge advantages if the dam is approved.
"You will be the suppliers of choice - this is your opportunity," North said.
