The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) says a “potentially serious corrosion issue” at the Taltson hydro plant may delay the unit’s return to service.
The hydro plant, which powers the South Slave, was taken offline for routine inspection and maintenance at the end of July. Now, the three week planned closure may stretch much longer.
NTPC says the possible corrosion issue affecting the 60-year-old surge tank may mean major remediation work is needed.
“The surge tank is an essential part of the Taltson plant and is between the main dam and the powerhouse. It is used to stabilize the water going into the plant.
“If the plant shuts down due to an unplanned event, the water will ‘surge’ into the tank until the headgate at the main dam can close,” explained the power corporation in a Facebook post.
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NTPC said it has known “for several years” about corrosion issues, but didn’t realize how serious the situation was until a recent third-party inspection was completed by engineers.
The power corporation noted remedial work on the surge tank was not a part of the recent Taltson overhaul project.
In May 2023, the hydro plant shut down for work to replace a turbine and generator. The work ended up taking 23 months, and cost $115 million. The plant finally came back online at the beginning of this April.
NTPC committed to sharing information about when the hydro system will be up and running again as it becomes available.
