HAY RIVER, NWT (February 12, 2021) – The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) announced today that the Snare Rapids Hydro Unit will remain offline for at least a month but could potentially be out of service through the remainder of winter. The unit automatically shut down on February 2 when sensors detected issues within the hydro generator.
The failure of equipment in the main generator caused the original shutdown. After a thorough inspection by staff, NTPC has determined that a significant amount of work will be required before the unit can be returned to service. The generator at Snare Rapids was originally constructed in 1948 and underwent major work on key components in 1986, 2005, and 2018. The source of the failure was upgraded in 1986.
Total cost of the shutdown and a return to service date are both unknown at this time. The daily cost of replacement diesel is weather dependent and can fluctuate widely as the result of changes in temperature. There was heavy power demand in the North Slave region last week due to extremely cold weather, but demand has decreased significantly over the past several days with rising temperatures.
NTPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NT Hydro, which in turn is 100 percent owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
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“Mechanical and other failures are likely to become more frequent as assets reach the end of their design life. NTPC has been able to extend the life of assets through maintenance and repair but has now reached the point where reliability will continue to decline without significant capital investment.”
-Noel Voykin, President and CEO, Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Media Contact:
Doug Prendergast
Communications Manager
(867) 874-5202