Snare Hydro System
The Snare Hydro System provides power to Yellowknife, Behchoko and Dettah, north of Great Slave Lake. The Snare Hydro system is located on the Snare River about 140 km northwest of Yellowknife. It includes four separate hydro plants: Snare Rapids, Snare Falls, Snare Cascades (leased from the Dogrib Power Corporation), and Snare Forks. The system includes about 150 km of transmission lines owned and maintained by NTPC.
The system includes:
- An 8.5 MW hydro generator at Snare Rapids
- A 500 kW hydro generator at Snare Rapids
- A 7.5 MW hydro generator at Snare Falls
- A 4.3 MW hydro generator at Snare Cascades
- Two 4.5 MW hydro generators and a 150 kW standby generator at Snare Forks
Bluefish Hydro
Bluefish can supply up to 20% of Yellowknife's electricity needs, equivalent to about 11 million litres of diesel fuel each year. In 2012, a new Bluefish hydro dam replaced the 70-year-old timber crib dam at the headwaters of the Yellowknife River. This three-year project was the largest in the history of NTPC. With an expected life of at least 100 years, the new dam together with the Snare system will supply a safe and reliable source of electricity for Yellowknife and other communities in the North Slave region for many years to come.
Bluefish has two generators:
- A 3.3 MW hydro generator
- A 3.3 MW hydro generator
Taltson Hydro
Taltson Hydro 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 Taltson system is connected to the communities by some 200 km of transmission lines, maintained by NTPC.
The hydro plant consists of:
- An 18 MW hydro unit
- A 300 kW emergency standby diesel generator