The last decade has seen Alberta’s economy boom—and the province’s northwest has witnessed it firsthand. With the developing oil industry comes increasing need for reliable electricity.

This need is straining the region’s existing electrical system. Until recently the Rainbow Lake area was connected to the power grid by only one line, and supplementary electricity was generated by Transmission Must Run (TMR) services—generation provided under contract by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) to compensate for insufficient local transmission infrastructure.

However, AESO studies have found that in the long run, as industry continues to develop, building new electrical infrastructure is more economical than continuing to rely on expensive TMR contracts. This expense drives the need for the Northwest Alberta Transmission Development project.

The first three phases of the Northwest Alberta Transmission Development

project—the Wesley Creek to Meikle transmission line, the Wesley Creek to Brintnell line and the High Level to Sulphur Point line—are complete. The fourth phase of the project, the Arcenciel project, is built and will be fully energized in the coming months.

The Arcenciel project includes a new substation, the Arcenciel to Ring Creek line, and two more 144 kV transmission lines connecting the Arcenciel substation to others in the region. The $69 million project removes limitations on the area’s industrial growth by boosting its electrical capacity.

The Arcenciel project began in November 2009 with a public consultation process. Most of the affected land is crown land used by agencies, oil companies, forestry companies, trappers and other industrial groups. There were few private landowners to consult.

A number of First Nations communities call the area home, and ATCO Electric eagerly solicited their input. The company kept the lines of communication open,

POWERING THE FUTUREATCO Electric's Arcenciel project will energize the fast-growing northwest area for years to come

listening and responding to concerns and providing firsthand information on the project through ground site visits and flyover observations. Many people were pleased the proposed route would follow an existing pipeline, thereby minimizing disturbance to the environment. The company continues to work with these communities to reduce environmental impact.

ATCO Electric filed an application to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in June 2010 and gained approval in December. Ground preparation began the same month to take advantage of winter conditions. With terrain largely comprising muskeg, ice and snow made site preparation easier, and the longer than usual winter helped the project get ahead of schedule. The Arcenciel to Ring Creek line was completed in late March 2011, and construction of the Arcenciel substation began in May 2011.

TOP IMAGE: As part of the $69 million Arcenciel project, the Arcenciel substation will bolster electrical capacity in the Rainbow Lake area.

FEATURE ARTICLE

J11-7788 Between the Lines_Fall/Winter2011.indd 6 11-12-22 3:43 PM

07Between the Lines

The Arcenciel Project and the Northwest Alberta Transmission Development Project

Arcenciel Substation

Line 7L113 – Arcenciel to Ring Creek

5 Line 7L122 – connecting line 7L98 (Sulphur Point to Arcenciel) to Rainbow Lake

Line 7L109 – connecting line 7L64 (Keg River to Arcenciel) to Rainbow Lake

3

5 Rainbow Lake Substation3 Ring Creek Substation

Sulphur Point Substation

Line 7L133 – High Level to Sulphur Point

Meikle Substation

Wesley Creek Substation

Line 7L120/7L138 – Wesley Creek to Meikle

Line 9L15 – Wesley Creek to Brintnell

In addition, another turnkey project, the building of a synchronous condenser, is scheduled to be in service by May 2013. This synchronous condenser, the first for ATCO Electric, will stabilize power and improve short circuit response in the area.

The Arcenciel project is nearing completion, with the exception of the synchronous condenser. It is fully constructed and is being energized in four phases—two have already been energized, and the final major components will be energized by the end of the year.

Once complete, the Arcenciel project will expand transmission capacity in the area and increase system reliability, meeting present demands as well as preparing the area for future industrial growth.

Alberta’s north is a hotbed of activity—and with safe and reliable electricity to light the way, it will remain an industrial forerunner for years to come.

In addition to the Arcenciel substation and three new 144 kV lines, the Northwest Alberta Transmission Development plan called for a Static VAR Compensator (SVC) located in the Arcenciel substation. ATCO Electric acquired the SVC in September. The SVC was a turnkey project, which meant the entire project, from design to construction, was contracted, and the contractor simply “handed over the keys” at completion. The highly specialized SVC is designed to improve the quality of power to the Rainbow Lake district by providing voltage support to the system.

RIGHT: Members of the Arcenciel project team. Back row, left to right: Kerry MacDonald, Line Construction Team Lead; Val Modjani, Land & Properties Team Lead; Ryan Anderson, Protection/Apparatus Engineering Support Team Lead; Jing Shan, Protection/Apparatus Engineering Support Team Lead. Front row, left to right: Carey Kostyk, Project Manager/Project Sponsor; Laurie Jenkin,Right-of-Way Planning Team Lead; and Dinesh Sharma, Project Manager.

Missing team leads: Stan O’Neill, Commissioning; Rashid Abdalkader, Contract Administration; Kurt Lorenscheit, Construction; Brent Apesland, Construction Manager; Michael Sturrock, Operation; Dean MacArthur, Civil Construction.