NIPAWIN HYDROELECTRIC STATION UNIT #1 BACK IN SERVICE

Unit #1 at SaskPower's Nipawin Hydroelectric Station is back in service, providing increased reliability, lowered maintenance costs and a long-term source of environmentally responsible electricity for Saskatchewan's electrical grid.

The $7.8 million rebuild of Nipawin Unit #1 is the first part of a three-year $23.4 million overhaul of the station's three turbines and generators. Work on Unit #1 began in February 2003.

"The project is an important part of SaskPower's ongoing commitment to offer customers a long-term supply of reliable, environmentally progressive and affordable electricity," Minister Responsible for SaskPower Frank Quennell said.

Along with the rebuild, some additional work was carried out that will extend the interval between future major overhauls from about 15 to 25-30 years. Because of the improvements made during this project, the unit maintenance cycle will be increased from one to three years.

"The project, which was completed within budget, was a reflection of the skilled and dedicated employees at SaskPower, the contractor VA Tech and everyone who worked on the rebuild," SaskPower vice president Garner Mitchell said. Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. rebuilt the massive turbine runner in its Saskatoon facility, while Saskatchewan workers performed virtually all of the on-site work.

SaskPower plans to refurbish Nipawin's other two units in 2004 and 2005. The cost of refurbishing each unit is budgeted at approximately $7.8 million. The hydroelectric station is located on the Saskatchewan River southwest of Nipawin and has three units with a combined generating capacity of 255 megawatts (MW). The first 85 MW unit was commissioned in 1985, and the two additional 85 MW units were commissioned in 1986. SaskPower operates a total of seven hydroelectric stations as part of its generation fleet.

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For More Information, Contact:

Larry Christie SaskPower Regina Phone: (306) 566-3167