Dam work completed for B.C.’s Site C energy project
ACCIONA was awarded the $1.75 billion project in 2015 and dam fill work began in 2021.
The entire Site C project is expected to be completed in 2025. – ACCIONA
Key Takeaways:
- Work building the dam portion of the Site C project in B.C. has wrapped up.
- When signed in 2015, the civil works contract was worth $1.75 billion.
- In total, more than 16 million cubic metres of material was used in its construction.
- The entire project is expected to be completed in 2025.
The Whole Story:
ACCIONA and its partners in the Peace River Hydro Partners consortium (PRHP) have completed the construction of the Site C dam, in B.C. Awarded in 2015 for $1.75 billion, it is one of ACCIONA’s largest projects in Canada.
At 60 meters high and approximately 500 meters wide, the dam stretches more than one and a half kilometers along the Peace River. Officials say it is the largest dam of it’s kind in the country.
The dam fill works began in 2021. In total, more than 16 million cubic metres of material was used in its construction which was 100% self-performed by PRHP. Most of the material was obtained from the site while the remaining seven million tons was moved on a five-kilometer-long conveyor belt, avoiding CO2 emissions from vehicle haulage.
During construction, ACCIONA and its partners achieved records placing the roller-compacted concrete (RCC) foundation. The team reached daily RCC placement peaks of over 9,460 cubic metres per day.
To divert the river, the PRHP excavated two twin tunnels 800 meters long and 11 meters diameter with road-headers. The tunnels were then lined with concrete. In total, more than 100 cubic metres of earth was moved. In addition, half a million tons of rip-rap rock protection for the dam was produced and transported by rail from a local quarry.
The construction of the Site C dam was built in compliance with international and Canadian safety practices, enabling it to withstand natural disasters.
The PRHP construction of the earthen dam, the roller-compacted concrete dam and the diversion tunnels are part of the Site C Clean Energy Project, one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in Canada.
Once completed in 2025, the project will provide energy to a population equivalent to 450,000 homes or 1.7 million electric vehicles per year.
