OPG’s Kakabeka Falls GS, one of Ontario’s oldest hydro stations, set to be redeveloped
At a glance
- OPG planning redevelopment of 117-year-old Kakabeka Falls Generating Station in northwest Ontario.
- Project will involve construction of new powerhouse extension with two new generating units, a new surge tank, and new penstocks.
- Redeveloped Kakabeka Falls station will provide approximately 27 MW of clean power and operate for additional 90 years.
In northwestern Ontario, near Thunder Bay, one of OPG’s oldest hydroelectric generating stations is set to be redeveloped.
The 117-year-old Kakabeka Falls Generating Station (GS), the second-oldest hydro station in OPG’s fleet, still has much of its original equipment from 1906 in operation. With a peak output of 24.4 megawatts (MW), the time-tested plant continues to provide enough electricity from its four units to power about 25,000 homes.
But eventually, all stations reach the end of the line, and Kakabeka Falls GS is expected to reach its end of life in the next few years. In preparation, OPG is now planning for the station’s redevelopment to ensure it can continue to generate clean, reliable power for an additional 90 years.
The project is now in the definition phase, which includes front-end engineering and design work.
With an expected construction start date of 2025 and completion date of 2027, Kakabeka Falls’ redevelopment will include the building of a new powerhouse extension located upstream of the existing powerhouse on the eastern bank of the Kaministiquia River.
This important project will help maintain and build on the legacy of Kakabeka Falls GS, which has provided clean power for Ontario for more than a century.Paul SeguinOPG’s Senior Vice-President of Renewable Generation
This new powerhouse will house two new modern turbine-generating units capable of generating approximately 27 MW of clean electricity, about three MW more than the plant’s current capacity, or a 13% increase.
Meanwhile, the four existing generating units and ancillary equipment will be removed from the current powerhouse, which will be maintained in its original location. The four existing penstocks will also be removed and replaced with new penstocks. Finally, the project will replace the plant’s surge tank, which is used to manage abrupt changes in water pressure.
“This important project will help maintain and build on the legacy of Kakabeka Falls GS, which has provided clean power for Ontario for more than a century,” said Paul Seguin, OPG’s Senior Vice-President of Renewable Generation. “With modern equipment and increased clean generating capacity, the redeveloped Kakabeka Falls GS will help OPG and Ontario meet its net-zero goals while supporting province-wide electrification for decades to come.”
Located within the traditional territory of the Fort William First Nation, near the Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, the project is expected to generate economic benefits for local Indigenous communities, in support of OPG’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
OPG has been working closely with the Fort William First Nation to ensure the community’s consultation and input are considered from the onset, starting with the preliminary planning stages of the project.
Originally built by the Kaministiquia Power Company to help power the area’s burgeoning flour milling industries, Kakabeka Falls GS started with two units before quickly expanding. A third unit was added in 1911 and a fourth unit was installed in 1914. Ontario Hydro, OPG’s predecessor company, purchased the station in 1949.
Today, Kakabeka Falls GS is one of 11 hydro stations owned and operated by OPG in northwestern Ontario.
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