Safe and Sustainable Hydropower in Canada

Hydropower in Canada- Past, present, and future!

Imagine a world where 60% of the power demands are met by renewable energy sources. Wonder not, because it is a reality in Canada where hydropower is the star. Over a century ago, Canada took its first strides toward becoming a global leader in sustainable hydropower. As time and technology advanced, Canada’s commitment to sustainable power generation strengthened. Now, in the present age and time, Canada’s hydropower is not just electricity from rivers, it is the beacon of sustainability. Being only second to China in global hydropower generation capacity, Canada is home to over 1,000 hydroelectric generating stations. Quebec and British Columbia are the top provinces having hydroelectric power stations with significant capacity. With more than 35 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being reduced annually due to hydropower generation, Canada’s clean energy strategy has a great economic and social impact as well. 

Safety through Arc Flash Study

Amidst such a backdrop, ensuring the safety of the system is crucial. This brings us to the top-rated electrical hazards – the arc flashes. Arc flashes, or high-energy electrical outbursts are a serious threat to this efficient hydroelectric power system in Canada. It has the potential to damage the electrical equipment, and devices, harm personnel, and incur losses, both financial and operational. However, the uplifting news is that there are ways to inhibit the risks due to arc flashes through arc flash studies in Canada. 

The reason we emphasize arc flash study as an inevitable part of electrical safety in hydroelectric power stations is that many facilities consider it as a compliance requirement.

An arc flash study, if comprehensive gives a clear picture of how the various components in the electrical system are working. It provides a view of the areas where arc flash risks are hidden. 

Our team of professionals at Care Labs is equipped with the skills, expertise, and technological know-how to help safeguard facilities. We deploy the ETAP 22.5 software to conduct an arc flash study, which offers a complete comprehension of high-risk areas as well as compliance with IEEE 1584 standards. 

Arc Flash study ensures safe and sustainable hydropower in Canada. Here’s how.

Electrical safety, especially arc flash safety is crucial in hydropower in Canada. The ways arc flash studies contribute to this can be summarised as:

• Compliance with codes: Protect workers and facilities by adhering to standards like IEE 1584 and CSA Z462.

• Determines the energy levels at various nodes in the electrical system. This helps in finding the right PPE for the workers at the hydropower facility in Canada.

• Defines a clear arc flash boundary. An arc flash study marginates specific boundaries where the effect of the hazard is severe. This helps hydropower in Canada safeguard their workforce from arc flash harm.

• Select the appropriate PPE based on the incident energy levels. This ensures that workers can handle the hazard effectively.

• Defining and optimizing the use of protective devices is one of the main benefits of conducting an arc flash study for hydropower in Canada. This helps further in minimizing the risks, better insulation, grounding, and use of protective devices like switchgear, and relays.

• Coordinating these protective devices will further enhance the safety from hazards. This helps reduce the impact of arc flash hazards on the facility as a whole.

• Communicates the hazard potential information through labeling of equipment. Workers approaching or interacting with labeled equipment will get an idea of the potential risks.

Given the multitude of benefits of arc flash study for hydropower in Canada, we suggest every facility owner must make it a practice to conduct an arc flash study every five years, as recommended by the standards. To make this more clear, let us look into the case study of a well-known hydropower in Canada BC Hydro, which conducted arc flash studies and assessments extensively for their high-voltage transmission lines.

Here’s a detailed account of BC Hydro’s Arc Flash Study

Setting the scene

BC Hydro has been suffering from arc flash threats from 2002 to 2014, with more than 23 incidents and 183 misses. This prompted them to conduct an arc flash study for their facility.

Challenges

The industry standards do not specify the high-voltage challenges like fault clearing times and long arcs. 

How the arc flash study was done

The ETAP software’s arc flash analysis module gave them the tools to perform comprehensive assessments. From defining the scope, and data collection to implementing the safety measures, the arc flash study for this hydropower in Canada identified all the deficiencies in the system and mitigated the risks.

Thus, BC Hydro was successful in aligning with the safety protocols and also reducing the arc flash incidents significantly. In addition to the usual outcomes of arc flash study, BC Hydro also addressed the knowledge gaps in the industry, working on developing methods to overcome these, especially for high voltage systems.

To sum up, electrical safety measures like arc flash study are quintessential for ensuring safe and sustainable hydropower generation in Canada. The Canadian government’s initiative Powering Canada Forward, aims to completely decarbonize the power system by 2035. 

While the government remains committed to the mission, Care Labs also attempts to offer 360-degree arc flash study services in Canada. Seek our expert advice and arc flash study services to streamline the operations in your facility, and build a safe and reliable place to work!