December 1, 2015 – Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro is pleased to announce that it has completed a major refurbishment of its 32 year old NOTL Transformer Station. The project included a new transformer, breaker, communications, spill containment and civil upgrades.
“Owning our own transformer stations is a key driver in keeping our distribution rates low,” said NOTL Hydro President Tim Curtis, “and investments like these ensure we can provide cost effective and reliable services for years to come.”
NOTL Hydro has 2 transformer stations that transform electricity supplied from the provincial transmission grid. York Station was constructed in 2003 which has a single transformer rated at 42MVA. NOTL Station was constructed in 1983 with two transformers rated at 25MVA each. The NOTL electrical system has a peak demand of 50MVA on the hottest days of the year.
The new 50 MVA transformer replaces one of the 25 MVA transformers that had reached end of life and is being kept as a short term back-up. It is capable of serving the entire Town and is expected to be in service for another 40 years. This multi-year $2.6 million project was funded through a 10 year loan from the Town at a mutually beneficial rate.
“A system study determined that aging transformers, load growth and reliable redundant supply were issues to be dealt with. NOTL Hydro explored various options and determined that this was the most effective one.” said NOTL Hydro Operations Manager Hassan Syed. “I would like to thank all the firms that were involved in the successful and safe completion of this project, CG Power (Transformer manufacturer), Eptcon (EPC contractor), Hawkins (Civil sub-contractor), Albarrie (Containment experts), IBI Group (Consultant), Raven Engineering (Consultant) and Ministry of Environment”