B.C. Hydro said Wednesday that work has begun on the addition of a sixth generating unit at the Revelstoke Generating Station.
The final unit is expected to add 500 megawatts of capacity to B.C.’s power system.
The hydroelectric dam is located on the Columbia River about five kilometres upstream of Revelstoke, in southeastern B.C.
B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix did not provide details about the cost of the project, but said it is far less than the cost of a new facility would be.
He said the project is part of a series of upgrades to add additional capacity to B.C.’s system.
“We’re talking about a 1000 megawatts of capacity to our system, matching the massive investment in energy we’re making with 14 projects across British Columbia,” said Dix.
The station was built in the 1980s with four initial generating units, but it was designed with room for future expansion. A fifth unit was added in 2010.
B.C. Hydro said site preparation is underway, and workforce levels are expected to peak at about 180 workers in 2029.
The sixth unit is expected to be in-service by late 2032.
B.C. Hydro estimates the project will generate about $60 million in local spending on goods, materials, and services.
The Revelstoke 6 project was greenlit by the BC Environmental Assessment Office in 2018, but B.C. Hydro quietly suspended the project in 2022.
In 2025, the province gave B.C. Hydro an extension for a substantial start to the project, requiring it to be underway by November 2028.
B.C. Hydro is also planning upgrades of two of the other generating units at the station.
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