Power Generation in Your Community
NTPC generates electricity in some of the world’s harshest operating conditions. With a population of about 43,000 people spread across nearly 1.2 million square kilometres, operating on a grid system is not feasible. Wherever possible, we provide our customers with hydro electricity. However, each community has its own stand alone power plant and facilities to ensure there is a reliable source of electricity, regardless of conditions.
Hydro Operations
Yellowknife (Jackfish Lake)
The Yellowknife diesel facility is located on the shores of Stock Lake (Jackfish Lake). It supplies power to the City of Yellowknife and communities of Dettah and Behchokö. The standby power plant is used to augment and/or supply prime power as backup to the Snare and Bluefish hydro systems
The facility includes control equipment, the central control room, fuel storage, stores for the Hydro Region, and the regional office. It also has 8 gensets:
- Two 5.18 MW diesel generators
- Two 2.50 MW diesel generators
- Two 2.85 MW diesel generators
- Two 3.30 MW diesel generators
Snare Hydro System
The Snare Hydro System is located on the Snare River about 140 km northwest of Yellowknife. It is made up of four separate hydro plants: Snare Rapids, Snare Falls, Snare Cascades, and Snare Forks. Snare Falls can be used as a secondary source of power by the other three power plants. This system provides power to Yellowknife and the communities of Behchoko and Dettah.
The system contains:
- A main turbine with an 8.0 MW generator at Snare Rapids
- a smaller turbine with a 500 kW generator at Snare Rapids
- A variable pitch turbine with a 7.4 MW generator at Snare Falls
- A variable pitch turbine with a 4.3 MW generator at Snare Cascades
- Two 5.0 MW generators and a 150 kW standby generator at Snare Forks
Bluefish Hydro Facility
NTPC purchased the Bluefish Hydro Electric facility, located in Yellowknife, from Miramar Con Mine in 2003. It is located at Bluefish Lake, the headwaters of the Yellowknife River. In conjunction with the Snare Hydro System, Bluefish provides power to the City of Yellowknife and communities of Behchoko and Dettah.
The facility consists of the two dams, headgate, penstock, and operations office. It also has the following hydro units:
- A 3.5 MW hydro unit
- A 4.0 MW hydro unit
Taltson Hydro
The Taltson Hydro plant is located approximately 64 kilometers north of Fort Smith on the Taltson River. It provides power to Fort Smith, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, Fort Resolution and Enterprise.
The hydro plant consists of:
- An 18 MW hydro unit
- A 300 kW emergency standby diesel generator
Behchokö
The community is primarily supplied with electricity generated from the Snare Hydro system.
The standby plant consists of:
- An 850 kW diesel generator
- A 350 kW diesel generator
Gamètì
- The diesel plant has three generators rated at 100, 212 and 300 kW.
Lutsel K’e
- The diesel plant consists of three diesel generators rated at 180, 320 and 320 kW.
Fort Resolution
The Fort Resolution diesel plant has one diesel generator with a capacity of 600 kW. There is also a standby 100 kW diesel generator located at Buffalo Junction which is approximately 77 km west from Fort Resolution on Highway 5 to Hay River.
Fort Smith
Fort Smith is powered by hydro electricity from the Taltson Hydro Facility. A standby diesel plant consists of three diesel generators with a total connected generating capacity of 6 MW.
Whati
The main diesel plant contains two generators, rated at 175 kW and 480 kW each. In addition, a separate module also contains a 320 kW generator. NTPC uses excess heat from diesel generation to provide heating to the local school through the Waste Heat Recovery System.
Thermal Operations
Aklavik
The plant currently has a 1.28 MW capacity, consisting of four 320 kW diesel engines.
Colville Lake
The power plant has three small generating units ranging from 75-90 kW.
Deline
Total installed capacity of the plant is 1.19 MW, generated one 550 kW and two 320 kW diesel generators.
Fort Good Hope
The plant has three diesel generators with a total installed capacity of 1.23 MW.
Fort Liard
The facility contains three diesel generators with a total output of 1.32 MW
Fort McPherson
Total installed capacity of the plant is 1.83 MW. The plant also provides residual heat to various buildings using the Aadrii heating system.
Fort Simpson
The power plant consists of four diesel generators with a total output capacity of 3.2 MW. Fort Simpson also has a 60 kW solar array.
Inuvik
The Thermal Operations regional office complex is located in Inuvik. Two power plants consist of:
- three natural gas fuelled generators rated at 2.8 MW, 2.8 MW, and 2.1 MW
- two 2.5 MW diesel generators
- one 720 kW diesel generator
- one 300 kW diesel generator
Jean Marie River
The power plant has three small diesel generators with a total capacity of 230 kW.
Nahanni Butte
The power plant has three small diesel generators with a total output capacity of 245 kW.
Norman Wells
The Norman Wells power plant is a standby plant with two generating units. NTPC currently purchases the electrical energy from ESSO and resells it to the community. Total installed capacity of Norman Wells standby plant is 2.12 MW.
Paulatuk
The Paulatuk power plant has a total installed capacity of 840 kW.
Sachs Harbour
The power plant contains three diesel generators with a total installed capacity of 795 kW.
Tsiigehtchic
The power plant houses three small generating units with a total capacity if 500 kW.
Tuktoyaktuk
Three diesel generators have a total installed capacity 2.21 MW.
Tulita
This plant is equipped with three diesel engines with a total installed capacity of 1.1 MW.
Ulukhaktok
The Ulukhaktok plant consists of three diesel generators that have a combined capacity of 1.16 MW. The plant also has a small heat recovery system that heats three buildings in the community.
Wrigley
The facility consists of three generating units with a total output of 781 kW.
Additional On-site facilities
All plants also have fuel storage, substations, office and staffing facilities, and inventory storage.
Backup Reliability
NTPC is committed to providing high quality, reliable power to our customers. In case of emergency, NTPC has several generators that are available on demand. These emergency generators can be easily transported by land or air, should the need arise.