Yip... any day now

Once upon a time, not that long ago chronologically-speaking, and, since nothing ever changes, it might as well be yesterday, culturally-speaking, a Tory Premier, in an election year, anxious to look busy, and holding out the eternal show-optimism that he would be the Great Leader who finally developed the so-called Lower Churchill hydro project, blew up a whole lot of perfectly good flour on either shore of the Strait of Belle Isle.

It’s 2007, and maybe things are a little more sophisticated now… but how much more, really?

Perhaps retail stores in the Straits should stock a few extra sacks of flour, just in case.

Hydro begins further field investigation work for the Lower Churchill Project

July 26, 2007 Happy Valley-Goose Bay – Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (Hydro) announced today that in order to prepare for future activities leading to project sanction, it has begun preliminary engineering field work at both the Gull Island and Muskrat Falls project sites as well as along the potential transmission routes. This field activity is expected to continue until November.

"Hydro has begun surveying and exploration around the site areas," said Ed Martin, President and CEO, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. "This preliminary work will assist the internal Hydro team in gathering information for the environmental assessment and in completing the optimization, and engineering studies necessary to prepare for future front end engineering and design (FEED) work expected to begin in 2008."

This summer’s field program consists of surveying, test pitting, exploratory drilling, seismic investigations and sub sea surveying. As a result of the RFP award for engineering support services, Hydro is working with engineering consultants SNC Lavalin, Fugro Jacques Geosurveys Inc. (FJGI), and a consortium comprised of Hatch Energy, RSW Engineering and Statnett to complete the work. This field investigation work is in addition to the ongoing environmental baseline studies that are also being conducted separately in the project area by Minaskuat and AMEC environmental consultants.

"The field work being conducted this year is another step in the planning of the Lower Churchill Project," said Gilbert Bennett, Vice President, Lower Churchill Project. "The magnitude of the project is such that we must be diligent in our planning and execution of work tasks, and we’re confident we are doing that."

The potential development of the Lower Churchill Project has been the subject of significant environmental and engineering studies for the past several decades and as such there is a comprehensive body of assessment work completed. Further environmental and engineering investigations will build on the data already collected and assist in determining the project’s financial, technical and environmental feasibility. At this point, all development options are still being reviewed, including project configuration, transmission routes and markets.

The Churchill River is an attractive, renewable, clean energy source. The Lower Churchill Project can displace an estimated 16 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually from comparable production from coal thermal generation. Combined with the existing Churchill Falls Generating Station, the three developments could produce the electrical equivalent of 225,000 barrels of oil a day - forever.