The Taltson hydro facility in the Northwest Territories is facing an extended outage until at least December due to a significant corrosion issue discovered during a recent inspection. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) announced that a $15 million fix is required, with $10 million allocated for repairs and $5.2 million for diesel production to serve South Slave communities during the facility’s downtime.
NTPC President Cory Strang highlighted that aging infrastructure presents challenges to the utility and other Canadian counterparts. The remediation work is deemed essential for safe operations and to expedite the reactivation of the Taltson facility, which has been offline since August following a brief period of operation post a major overhaul.
The current focus of repair involves the surge tank, a critical component regulating pressure fluctuations and water reserves in a hydroelectric plant. Despite a drone inspection in 2023 showing minimal deterioration since 2015, a more recent comprehensive assessment in July revealed a more severe situation than expected.
NTPC determined that remediating the existing tank is the more cost-effective solution compared to tank replacement, which could incur an estimated $80 million in fuel and operational expenses, keeping South Slave communities reliant on diesel power for an additional two years. The remediation process will only keep Taltson offline for around nine more weeks, with plans to install a new surge tank in the upcoming years upstream of the existing one.
The company’s approach aligns with ongoing projects, allowing for cost-sharing and efficient completion. NTPC has sought a permit from the Public Utilities Board for the remediation work and is planning to deploy additional rented diesel generators in Fort Smith, with one already operational in Fort Resolution.
Overall, NTPC is prioritizing the restoration of the Taltson hydro facility with a strategic plan to address the corrosion issue promptly and ensure the resiliency of the infrastructure for future operations.
