Island Falls Generating Station is a 2-unit “run-of-river” hydroelectric generating facility with a nameplate capacity of 20.0 MW located on the Mattagami River, approximately 16 km south of the town of Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario.

The intake and powerhouse that will house the two Kaplan units will be combined in a close-coupled arrangement near the west bank of the river. A spillway equipped with three vertical-lift, fixed roller gates and one set of stop logs will be built adjacent to the powerhouse.

Two sections of dam, one on the east side of the powerhouse and one on the west, at approximately 15 metres high will be built. A substation that steps up the generation to 115 kilovolt (kV) will be built at the end of the westerly dam. Approximately 21 kilometres of 115 kV overhead transmission line that mainly routes along Red Pine Road will be installed to connect the generating facility to existing Hydro One 115 kV circuit H9K.

As part of the project, approximately 14 kilometres of existing access road will be upgraded, and 7 km of new road will be built along with two new bridge installations. The gross head of the facility will be approximately 15 metres. The total discharge of the plant at capacity is approximately 160 cubic metres per second.

The estimated average annual output of the facility is 93,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy; enough electricity to power approximately 13,000 average Ontario homes.

Project Progress (September 30, 2011)

• The project received environmental approval from the Ministry of the Environment

Links:

TransAlta
http://www.transalta.com/

Project Contacts:

Ontario Power Authority
 
Media and Public Relations
T. 416-969-6307 or 
1-800-797-9604