Plutonic Power Corp. announced July 17 it authorized its contractor to begin construction of infrastructure for the 123-MW East Toba River and 73-MW Montrose Creek project in British Columbia’s Toba River Valley.
Plutonic issued a limited notice to proceed for the contractor, Peter Kiewit Sons Co., to begin building 60 kilometers of access roads, 11 bridges, and other infrastructure in preparation for groundbreaking of the project. The company issued the notice to proceed while waiting to close project financing.
The first barge delivered heavy equipment and materials to a site at the head of the Toba Inlet the week of July 9, following a 20-hour trip across Howe Sound. More than 130 barge trips will be made during the three-year course of construction of the project, 150 kilometers north of Powell River.
Plutonic and its partner on the project, GE Energy Financial Services, anticipate signing a C$497 million (US$477 million) engineering-procurement-construction contract with Peter Kiewit Sons by the end of July. Plutonic and GE Energy will finance and operate the C$660 million (US$633 million) project.
The remote nature of the site creates unique opportunities for Plutonic and Kiewit to be creative throughout the construction process, Plutonic President Donald McInnes said.
�In addition to barging equipment and materials, a 200-man construction camp will be built, as well as an airstrip and related facilities,� McInnes said.
Plutonic is involved in the development of 31 proposed hydro projects in British Columbia with a total design capacity of about 1,600 MW. In early July, it filed applications to secure water licenses and crown land rights to develop two of those projects, 95-MW Jewakwa River and 60-MW Scar Creek, near the headwaters of Bute Inlet, north of Powell River. (HNN 7/10/07)
