B.C.’s first wind park operating
February 12, 2010
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Three consulting engineering firms were involved in the Bear Mountain Wind Park project which opened last year...
Three consulting engineering firms were involved in the Bear Mountain Wind Park project which opened last year in British Columbia. The 102-MW wind farm near Dawson Creek is owned by AltaGas Income Trust, and began operating in October 2009.
Hatch did engineering, procurement and construction support, Genivar did wind resource assessments and turbine siting, and Hemmera did the environmental permitting.
The 25-hectare site is a ridge used for cattle grazing, forestry and oil and gas exploration. The wind is captured by 34 Enercon E-82 turbines in a single row, minimum 160 metres apart. Each turbine is 78 metres tall to the hub, with a foundation that required 50 loads of concrete.
A medium-voltage network connects the turbines to a substation, and then an overhead transmission line delivers power to the B.C. Transmission Corporation grid.
The $200-million project was constructed between December 2007 and completed ahead of schedule and on budget.
