Stantec inks $186M agreement with BC Hydro
The electrical utility plans to spend years modernizing B.C.’s electrical grid.
Key Takeaways:
- Stantec has signed a $186-million master services agreement with BC Hydro to help upgrade its electrical infrastructure.
- Stantec will supply transmission and distribution services along with substation design, including electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering services.
- The agreement is initially termed for seven years, with a potential total term of up to 20 years.
The Whole Story:
Global engineering and design firm Stantec has been selected by BC Hydro to provide transmission and distribution engineering as well as project delivery services for the electrical infrastructure in B.C. The initiative is part of BC Hydro’s 10-year capital plan to modernize its electrical grid and provide reliable energy while driving the clean energy transition forward in the province.
The $186-million master services agreement (MSA) between Stantec and BC Hydro is initially termed for seven years, with a potential total term of up to 20 years. Stantec will supply transmission and distribution services along with substation design, including electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering services. Stantec will also oversee project management, scheduling, cost control, procurement, and contract management, as well as materials management, equipment management, and logistics.
This is the latest agreement between Stantec and BC Hydro, which allows Stantec to support any development from initial system studies, environmental permitting, Indigenous consultation, and engineering design to construction management and post construction monitoring.
“Stantec is proud to assist BC Hydro in this major endeavor to modernize and expand the electrical grid in British Columbia,” says Mario Finis, executive vice president of energy & resources at Stantec. “Renewable energy generation is only part of the transition to a clean energy future. We must also design, build, and maintain the transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to safely and reliably deliver clean energy to meet the needs of our communities. Stantec will be there to support these grid modernization efforts in British Columbia and around the world.”
BC Hydro released its 10-year capital plan in January. The plan, called Power Pathway: Building BC’s Energy Future, outlines the investments BC Hydro plans to make to sustain and expand the electricity system. It has three main objectives:
- to support the electrification of the province and meet CleanBC emissions reductions targets;
- to reinforce the system to enable customer connections and meet load growth;
- and to sustain the system, ensuring the province can safely and reliably meet the needs of its customers while keeping rates low.
Stantec noted that it is no stranger to this type of work. The firm is currently serving as owner’s engineer for the SunZia Transmission Project, which is part of the largest clean energy infrastructure initiative in U.S. history and will deliver 3,000 megawatts of power to communities throughout the southwest US. Stantec’s teams are also providing specialist services for more than a dozen major high voltage direct current (HVDC) projects globally.
