Watch the power plant progress on web cam
Construction on the City of Medicine Hat’s new power facility is well underway, and Hatters can track progress via a time-lapse web video on the city’s website.
Ground was broken at the site of the natural gas-fired 43megawatt generation station in June, and this week the city’s utility department released updated photos of work at the three-month mark.
Construction of the C$ 66 million facility is expected to be completed next year, at which time the city’s total generating capacity will be 246 megawatts.
That is enough to meet to the city’s highest recorded power load if the main generation unit at the main power plant goes offline.
Planners say the city-owned north-end site, on Box Springs Road near the Medicine Hat Drag Strip, provides some operational advantages. Its gas supply is separate from that of the main power plant in the city’s river valley. Also, it’s placement and ability to be remotely operated should add security to maintain constant supply.
Local firms Dynamic Industrial Solutions and Arts Excavating provided original site construction services.
Managing the construction and design are Aval Engineering and Worley Parsons, respectively.
The main component, a US$26-million General Electric LM-6000 was ordered last spring.