After Site C Project’s final generating unit completion in early August, BC Hydro is identifying the missteps made before that point.
On Thursday, the organization released its “Lessons Learned Report to Inform Future Major Capital Projects” report, highlighting issues that arose before and during construction.
In December 2014, the Final Investment Decision budget was $8.775 billion, but increased to $10.7 billion in February 2018, and again in February 2021, to $16 billion.
BC Hydro said the first cost increase was primarily due to the higher costs for the main civil works, and generating station and spillways contracts.
The second was caused by the pandemic, losing roughly 60 per cent of the summer 2020 construction season, delaying the project a year, and geotechnical challenges.
BC Hydro noted it should have ramped up its internal Project resources more proactively and sooner and going forward, and better communicate low probability, high-consequence risks that can impact budgets and schedules, if they materialize.
The site, located roughly seven kilometres from Fort St. John on the Peace River, can generate over 1,100 megawatts of electricity, and power about 450,000 homes.
More information can be found on BC Hydro’s full report here.
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