New 230kV/115kV substations at Pickle Lake
New reliable and sustainable installations brings electricity to Ontario’s Aboriginal communities
The project to connect to the Hydro One Dinorwic Junction transmission network and the Pickle Lake substation, as part of the Wataynikaneyap electricity transport project, was undertaken to address a critical need for electricity access in 17 isolated First Nations communities in Ontario.
- Hydro One
- Nord-ouest de l'Ontario (Canada)
- Power transmission and distribution, stations and substations, studies and design, control and protection, electrical arrangement, civil engineering and structure, remote and on-site field support
CONTEXT & ISSUES
This ambitious project involved a series of major works to establish a reliable and sustainable electrical infrastructure in often hostile environments, while reducing dependence on diesel generators, thus promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life for local populations.
The main components of the project included the installation of nearly 300 kilometers of 230kv overhead transmission lines, stretching from Dinorwic to Pickle Lake in northwestern Ontario. New transmission connection facilities were erected in the Dinorwic region, along with a new transformer station in the township of Pickle Lake. These works required a 40-meter-wide deforested area to accommodate the poles and wires of the power transmission line, as well as a 2-kilometer-wide corridor for construction activities.