Site C dam's electric generation capacity grows to 50% | Daily Hive

November 2024 milestone of Site C hydroelectric dam's reservoir being fully filled. (BC Hydro)

With the third generating unit now operational, the Site C hydroelectric dam has achieved 50 per cent of its total power generation capacity.

BC Hydro announced this project milestone today, with the project now on track to have all six generating units in operation by Fall 2025.

The first generating unit went online in October 2024, and the second generating unit came into service in December 2024. Testing and commissioning work is now underway on the fourth generating unit.

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This also follows the project’s milestone of fully filling its 83-km-long reservoir in early November 2024 — a process that took 11 weeks, and increased the water level by up to about 43 metres (141 ft.) over an area of 93 sq. km.

According to the electric utility, each generating unit can provide over 180 megawatts of power or enough electricity for 80,000 homes each — power for a total of over 480,000 homes across British Columbia. This represents an eight per cent increase in BC Hydro’s electricity supply.

As of today, construction on the project is now over 90 per cent complete. Work first began in July 2015, and the project’s total cost was last stated at $16 billion in 2021.

November 2024 milestone of Site C hydroelectric dam’s reservoir being fully filled. (BC Hydro)

Nearly eight years ago, the project faced potential cancellation when the BC NDP-led provincial government took office. Critics at the time argued that Site C’s electrical capacity would not be necessary in the long run.

However, in 2023, BC Hydro announced it would need more electricity much sooner than anticipated, as early as 2028 — even after accounting for the 2025 capacity increase from Site C’s full operation — due to population and economic growth, and the accelerating electrification of vehicular transportation and building systems.

In December 2024, after conducting a bidding process, BC Hydro announced its selection of nine private sector-led projects, all of which focus on wind power. Each project’s generation capacity ranges between 94 MW and 200 MW, equivalent to between 8.5 per cent and up to 18 per cent of Site C’s generation capacity.

According to BC Hydro, these projects will be funded by the private sector and have an estimated combined total construction cost of between $5 billion and $6 billion. Eight of the nine selected wind power projects will have 51 per cent equity ownership for First Nations.

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