BC Hydro Customer Connection Project: Crew West Septimus and Groundbirch Electrification

in progress

BC Hydro’s customer, Crew Energy Inc. (“Crew Energy”), is electrifying an existing gas processing facility, West Septimus, and a proposed new gas processing facility, Groundbirch, in the Peace Region of British Columbia (B.C.) with an expected operations date of 2024 and 2026 respectively. The project will allow for the conversion of existing natural gas drives at the West Septimus facility to electric drives. Groundbirch is a proposed new natural gas processing plant that will be fully electric. To connect to BC Hydro’s electricity grid, the project will construct 2 kilometres of transmission line that will enable the connection of the two facilities to BC Hydro’s South Bank substation, south of Fort St. John in north-eastern B.C.. The customer requires 57.4 megawatts of electrical capacity to support both operations. BC Hydro will deliver the required capacity according to Crew Energy’s expected operations date for each facility: the first phase will deliver approximately 28.7 megawatts for West Septimus and the second phase will deliver approximately 28.7 megawatts for Groundbirch. This funding application covers both facilities. The project requires the construction of a line position within the South Bank substation in Fort St. John to connect the customer to the BC Hydro grid. This includes: - Feasibility & preliminary design, detailed engineering and project planning; - Construction of approx. 2 km of transmission line. - Installation of one 138 kilovolt line position at South Bank substation, with associated protection and control equipment, to connect the customer’s transmission line; - Addition of two circuit breakers and associated disconnect switches; - Installation of one revenue metering equipment at each of the customer’s facility substations; - Upgrades to protection and telecom for BC Hydro’s Peace Region system; - Protection review, upgrades, and changes at the South Bank substation; and, - All related works.