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Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro System Update for Customers

December 29th, 2014

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro committed to providing regular updates to its customers regarding its winter readiness work and system status. Today, Hydro is providing an update on the start up of the new combustion turbine (CT); the status of power contracts with industrial customers; and the status of current generation. Customers can be assured that Hydro is working hard to deliver safe, reliable power when they need it.

Combustion Turbine Status Update – Readying to Come Online

The new Combustion Turbine Plant, located in Holyrood, is expected to be online and generating power in the coming week. Hydro has been executing a careful commissioning plan to ensure the safe execution of work and the long term reliability of this generating facility. To minimize customer impacts during testing as the plant is brought online, Hydro is taking a staged  approach and after successful operational testing at 40 MW, the plant supply will be run up in stages to ensure successful testing at each stage. While undergoing this testing and commissioning, the plant will be available to provide up to 110 MW to the provincial system if necessary. The remaining capacity (13.5 MW) will be available in the weeks following as a water injection system is commissioned and brought online.

Hydro would like customers to be aware there is some potential for short-term power disruptions to a limited number of customers as the new plant is brought online. Outages would be minor and short in duration (less than 10 minutes). Such shutdowns during initial start-up testing are not unusual to protect the equipment and ensure its proper operation. Hydro is taking all steps to minimize such disruptions through the execution of a safe and carefully prepared equipment commissioning plan.

Additional Capacity Secured from Industrial Customers

Hydro is also pleased to confirm that contracts with large Island Industrial customers, Corner Brook Pulp  and Paper and Vale, have been completed. Hydro has secured approximately 30 MW of additional power above the previously announced 60 MW arrangement with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper should  it be required. These contracts allow Hydro to call upon these large-scale customers to reduce power  consumption when needed, or permit access to customer owned generation output, providing  approximately 90 MW of additional power to the provincial electricity system for other customers.
These types of contracts are common tools utilities use to manage supply and demand on electricity systems

Other Generation Status

The Hardwoods gas turbine, a 50 MW peaking plant near St. John’s, which was impacted by fire in mid- December has been returned to service. Following the investigation, Hydro has removed one half of its  sister plant in Stephenville (25 MW), as prudent follow up to the incident in December to secure new  fuel lines which will allow for the continued safe operation of that facility. Current estimates have the  Stephenville plant back in full service in late January.

Hydro executed its extensive winter readiness plan throughout the year and completed all critical work  by the end of November. All remaining generating facilities and transmission assets are currently  available at capacity.

Hydro would like to advise all customers that the company continues to work hard to deliver safe,  reliable power to meet your requirements.



Media Contact:

Jill Pitcher
Senior Communications Advisor, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro
t. 709.737.1219 / c. 709.689.9938 e. JillPitcher@nlh.nl.ca