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SaskPower says upgrades to a Nipawin-area hydroelectric station are complete, helping ensure reliable and affordable power can continue flowing to Saskatchewan customers in the area for decades.
Improvements to the E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station will extend the life of the power station by at least another 50 years, according to Jeremy Harrison, minister responsible for SaskPower.
“This will allow SaskPower to continue to access up to 294 megawatts (MW) of hydro power at a fraction of the cost of building a new facility,” the minister said in a statement.
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The refurbishment, according to SaskPower, was a $275 million, multi-year project that began in 2021 at the power station located northeast of Nipawin on the Saskatchewan River.
Upgrades have been made to turbines, generators and intake systems to help the station produce more power from the same amount of water, “making the most of existing infrastructure.”
A new hydroelectric facility of the same capacity could cost as much as $4 billion, according to current estimates, the Crown corporation noted.
The E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station near Nipawin, Sask., is SaskPower’s largest hydroelectric station. (SaskPower)
Rupen Pandya, SaskPower president and CEO, said projects like this are “an important part of SaskPower’s plan to ensure a reliable power system for the future.
“The project also delivered economic benefits, including approximately $13.7 million in Indigenous and local employment and procurement opportunities,” he added.
The power station first began operating in 1963 and is SaskPower’s largest hydroelectric facility. Operating at 294 megawatts, the station generates power for up to 250,000 homes.
The company noted that the improvements were guided by the province’s Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan.
“Under the plan SaskPower will continues to invest in infrastructure projects that ensure customers have reliable power as we move toward a net-zero grid by 2050,” the corporation noted.
