July 8, 2016 – BC Hydro and dignitaries from local First Nations as well as the British Columbia government gathered recently to celebrate the completion of Innergex Renewable Energy’s Tretheway Creek Hydroelectric Project.

The project is a 21.2MW run-of-river hydro facility located on the northwest shore of Harrison Lake, approximately 50 km north of Harrison Hot Springs. The province said it will produce 81GW-hours of electricity annually, enough to power about 7300 homes.

“The Tretheway Creek Hydroelectric Project is the kind of private-sector, renewable-energy project that is a big part of B.C.’s clean and diversified energy supply,” said Bill Bennett, minister of Energy and Mines. “These independent power projects supply about 25% of BC Hydro’s electricity today—an increase from just 4% in 2001.”

According to B.C., the project includes:

•    An intake structure, comprising a weir to create a head pond and an intake to divert a regulated amount of water from Tretheway Creek. The intake structure includes a fish ladder to allow fish migration.
•    A 4.7-km penstock to convey water downhill to the powerhouse.
•    A powerhouse to enclose the two turbine generators and other equipment.
•    A tailrace to return the diverted water back to the creek—designed to eliminate the risk of potential fish stranding.
•    A switchyard to transform the generated electricity to the 138KV transmission voltage.
•    A transmission line linking the project to the point of interconnection at BC Hydro’s Upper Harrison Terminal.

The Tretheway Creek Hydroelectric Project received an electricity purchase agreement from BC Hydro as part of the 2008 Clean Power Call.

The project is on the traditional territory of Douglas First Nation and Sts’ailes, who reached revenue-sharing agreements with the province in 2015. The agreements are the result of the First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund, which promotes First Nations’ participation in the energy sector.

The Tretheway Creek Hydroelectric Project—Innergex’s 34th facility—represents an investment of more than $100 million, according to the province.