Hydro
SNC-Lavalin's world recognition in hydroelectric expertise is founded on its significant involvement in harnessing Canada's extensive hydro resources, dating from the early 1900s. The Energy Division has participated in hydro projects in over 120 countries, representing an installed capacity of more than 250,000 MW, and 90,000 km of T&D lines.
The Division provides full services from planning and engineering to construction on an EPCM or EPC basis. It has also designed, constructed and operated its own small hydroelectric plants.
In addition to its extensive experience in greenfield projects, the Energy Division has rehabilitated and upgraded over 50 hydroelectric developments and performed over 100 dam safety assessments worldwide. Its rehabilitation expertise includes refurbishment of electrical and mechanical equipment, upgrading, operations optimization, life extension, flood safety and solving problems caused by alkali-aggregate reaction.
Projects
Contacts
Modernization of Structures at the Beauharnois Complex
The Beauharnois hydroelectric complex is located downstream of the Beauharnois Canal, some 60 km southwest of Montreal. The plant was built in three phases, commissioned respectively in 1932, 1950 and 1959. The three run-of-river plants have integrated intakes and a total installed capacity of 1,574 MW. Modernization includes establishing scope of work, structural analysis, modelling and simulation of concrete swelling, rehabilitation alternatives, analysis of all components to establish their rehabilitation needs and selection of solutions. Client: Hydro-Québec
Country : Canada
Country : Canada
Chute-à-Caron Rehabilitation Project
Constructed between the years 1926 and 1931, the Chute-à-Caron hydroelectric development is located on the Saguenay River, 40 km downstream from St-Jean Lake, in Quebec. It is part of the Shipshaw Complex which also comprises the Shipshaw power station, located 2.5 km downstream.The project involved rehabilitating the concrete dams and other structures of the Chute-a-Caron development, related to civil, mechanical and electrical works to ensure their performance for at least another 30 years. It also included a reevaluation of the stability of all concrete structures.The mandate also included an evaluation of the condition of the hydraulic passages of the four turbine-generator units. The electrical and mechanical components of the spillway gate gantry crane were evaluated and inspected. Finally, an evaluation of the dam monitoring system was also part of the mandate. Client: Hydro-Québec
Country : Canada
Country : Canada
Chamera Hydroelectric Project (Stage II)
Services Provided: design, supply and delivery (by sea freight) of electromechanical equipment.Chamera II is a run-of-the-river scheme for hydro power generation using a gross head of 267 metres. The project is located on the Ravi River, near the town of Chamba in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The nearest airport is at Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), about 220 km away.The work performed by SNC-Lavalin included:Overall and detailed planning Additional geological investigations Design of civil works Design of hydromechanical works Construction planning and scheduling Design of electromechanical equipment Supply and delivery of electromechanical equipment, except generatorsThe project will provide an annual generation of 1500 GWh in a 90% dependable year, and peaking capacity to the northern regional grid of India. Client: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC)
Country : India
Country : India
P.T. INCO Expansion Project
Engineering, procurement and technical management for the design and construction of a 99 m high Roller Compacted Concrete Dam and 137 MW hydroelectric generating facility. Client: P.T. Inco
Country : Indonesia
Country : Indonesia
James Bay Hydroelectric Development
The La Grande complex located in northern Quebec on the James Bay territory covers a 350,000 km2 area, which is about eight times the size of Switzerland. It is one of the world's major hydroelectric developments with an annual output of some 81.2 billion kWh. The project included seven major reservoirs as well as nine power plants. The catchment area covers 176,610 km2 and the total storage provided is 221 billion m3. The creation of the reservoirs involved the construction of eleven earth and rockfill dams and some 293 dikes. The energy generated is transmitted to major consumer centres by means of six 735 kV AC transmission lines cpveromg 5,300 km, one 1,018 km 450 kV DC transmission line, and includes 18 substations. Initially, no services existed in the area and the complex required the construction, maintenance and operation of five airports, 1,500 km of access roads, five villages and 15 camp sites to accommodate some 20,000 people at peak construction.
Country : Canada
Country : Canada
Péribonka River Hydroelectric Development
The plastic concrete diaphragm wall that we designed for the Péribonka dam set a world record as the deepest of its kind ever built. Varying in thickness from 1.2 m to 1.5 m, it cuts through sand and gravel to anchor in bedrock at a maximum depth of 115 m. Client: Hydro-Québec
Country : Canada
Country : Canada
SM-3 Hydroelectric Project
The SM-3 hydroelectric complex is located on the Sainte-Marguerite River which flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, some 80 km north of Sept-Iles, in the north shore region of Quebec. The project consisted of a 170 m high rockfill dam, a diversion tunnel, a spillway located in the secondary valley and an 8.2 km long, 16.5 m high power tunnel leading to a three unit underground powerhouse with an installed capacity of 1,395 MW. Construction started in 1994 and the first two units were put into service in 2002. Client: Hydro-Québec
Country : Canada
Country : Canada
Modernization of Structures at the Beauharnois Complex
The Beauharnois hydroelectric complex is located downstream of the Beauharnois Canal, some 60 km southwest of Montreal. The plant was built in three phases, commissioned respectively in 1932, 1950 and 1959. The three run-of-river plants have integrated intakes and a total installed capacity of 1,574 MW. Modernization includes establishing scope of work, structural analysis, modelling and simulation of concrete swelling, rehabilitation alternatives, analysis of all components to establish their rehabilitation needs and selection of solutions. Client: Hydro-Québec
Chute-à-Caron Rehabilitation Project
Constructed between the years 1926 and 1931, the Chute-à-Caron hydroelectric development is located on the Saguenay River, 40 km downstream from St-Jean Lake, in Quebec. It is part of the Shipshaw Complex which also comprises the Shipshaw power station, located 2.5 km downstream.The project involved rehabilitating the concrete dams and other structures of the Chute-a-Caron development, related to civil, mechanical and electrical works to ensure their performance for at least another 30 years. It also included a reevaluation of the stability of all concrete structures.The mandate also included an evaluation of the condition of the hydraulic passages of the four turbine-generator units. The electrical and mechanical components of the spillway gate gantry crane were evaluated and inspected. Finally, an evaluation of the dam monitoring system was also part of the mandate. Client: Hydro-Québec
Chamera Hydroelectric Project (Stage II)
Services Provided: design, supply and delivery (by sea freight) of electromechanical equipment.Chamera II is a run-of-the-river scheme for hydro power generation using a gross head of 267 metres. The project is located on the Ravi River, near the town of Chamba in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The nearest airport is at Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), about 220 km away.The work performed by SNC-Lavalin included:Overall and detailed planning Additional geological investigations Design of civil works Design of hydromechanical works Construction planning and scheduling Design of electromechanical equipment Supply and delivery of electromechanical equipment, except generatorsThe project will provide an annual generation of 1500 GWh in a 90% dependable year, and peaking capacity to the northern regional grid of India. Client: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC)
P.T. INCO Expansion Project
Engineering, procurement and technical management for the design and construction of a 99 m high Roller Compacted Concrete Dam and 137 MW hydroelectric generating facility. Client: P.T. Inco
James Bay Hydroelectric Development
The La Grande complex located in northern Quebec on the James Bay territory covers a 350,000 km2 area, which is about eight times the size of Switzerland. It is one of the world's major hydroelectric developments with an annual output of some 81.2 billion kWh. The project included seven major reservoirs as well as nine power plants. The catchment area covers 176,610 km2 and the total storage provided is 221 billion m3. The creation of the reservoirs involved the construction of eleven earth and rockfill dams and some 293 dikes. The energy generated is transmitted to major consumer centres by means of six 735 kV AC transmission lines cpveromg 5,300 km, one 1,018 km 450 kV DC transmission line, and includes 18 substations. Initially, no services existed in the area and the complex required the construction, maintenance and operation of five airports, 1,500 km of access roads, five villages and 15 camp sites to accommodate some 20,000 people at peak construction.
Péribonka River Hydroelectric Development
The plastic concrete diaphragm wall that we designed for the Péribonka dam set a world record as the deepest of its kind ever built. Varying in thickness from 1.2 m to 1.5 m, it cuts through sand and gravel to anchor in bedrock at a maximum depth of 115 m. Client: Hydro-Québec
SM-3 Hydroelectric Project
The SM-3 hydroelectric complex is located on the Sainte-Marguerite River which flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, some 80 km north of Sept-Iles, in the north shore region of Quebec. The project consisted of a 170 m high rockfill dam, a diversion tunnel, a spillway located in the secondary valley and an 8.2 km long, 16.5 m high power tunnel leading to a three unit underground powerhouse with an installed capacity of 1,395 MW. Construction started in 1994 and the first two units were put into service in 2002. Client: Hydro-Québec