Site C Clean Energy Project General Hydraulic Features

December 10, 2020

This paper outlines the general hydraulic characteristics of the flow conveyance systems of the Site C Clean Energy Project. The Site C Clean Energy Project is an 1,100 MW hydroelectric generating station with a 60 m high earthfill dam on the Peace River near Fort St. John, BC, Canada. The project spillway and power intakes are fed by a large approach channel on the right (south) abutment. There are six power intakes each with coarse trashracks and antivortex devices. The powerhouse has six units each with a 10.2 m diameter 90 m long penstock. The spillway has a two-stage stilling basin arrangement with three 16.5 m wide surface radial gates, six 6.5 m wide vertical lift low level gates and a 137 m long free crest spillway. The spillway has a central dividing wall and jet deflectors to mitigate Total Dissolved Gas (TDG). The project has two fully submerged diversion tunnels each 10.8 m in diameter located within the left (north) abutment. One of the tunnels will continue to be used after diversion for releasing minimum downstream flows during reservoir filling. This tunnel will be outfitted with orifices just prior to reservoir filling to increase energy dissipation and reduce tunnel capacity in order to safely discharge minimum required flows while the reservoir rises. Croockewit, J., J. Bruce, F. Yusuf, J. Nunn and A. Watson. 2017. “Site C Clean Energy Project General Hydraulic Features,” in CDA 2017 Annual Conference, October 16-18, 2017, Kelowna, BC, Canada.