OPG's Niagara Reservoir Refurbishment Completed Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget

OPG's Pump Generating Station Reservoir (CNW Group/Ontario Power Generation Inc.)

Upgrade ensures flexible, carbon-free power for another half century

NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Feb. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has successfully completed another project ahead of schedule and under budget. The reservoir refurbishment project for the Sir Adam Beck Pump Generating Station (PGS) will ensure carbon-free electricity for another fifty years or more.

"By re-investing in our existing assets, we're able to efficiently produce clean, reliable, low-cost electricity to serve the province for many years," said Jeff Lyash OPG's President and CEO. "This flexible storage facility is very valuable to Ontario because it time shifts the generation of electricity from periods of low demand to periods of high demand on a daily basis."

Built in 1957, the PGS can displace up to 600MW of fossil fuel generation for nearly eight hours. Water in the reservoir is used for electricity production at the PGS and again for a second time at the Beck station.

The reservoir refurbishment project started April 1, 2016 and was expected to take one year to complete.  The project was completed safely nearly two months in advance and for less than the planned $60M budget.

Other Key Facts

• The reservoir perimeter is over seven kilometres long;
• Holds the equivalent of water from 8,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools;
• Can store the same energy as one million car batteries;
• Rankin Construction used more than 100 employees and contractors for the project;
• OPG's Niagara Operations has over 200 employees, approximately 30 of whom work at the PGS;
• Sir Adam Beck I generating station has produced power since 1921, while Sir Adam Beck II generating station began operations in 1954;
• Both stations along with the PGS have a combined capacity of over 2,200 MW of clean renewable electricity -- that's enough to power 1.7 million homes.

OPG generates safe, clean, reliable, low-cost power for Ontario. More than 99 per cent of this power is free of smog and greenhouse gas emissions. OPG's power is priced 40 per cent lower than other generators, which helps moderate customer bills.

SOURCE Ontario Power Generation Inc.

Ontario Power Generation Media Relations, 416-592-4008 or 1-877-592-4008, Follow us on Twitter @opg

Related Links

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