Power turbine coming to Galt dam
Parkhill Dam plan has been in the works since 1999
CAMBRIDGE — The Parkhill Dam will soon be churning out power after nearly two decades of stalled proposals to build a hydro plant at the historic dam.
“This was the best of all the sites based on the amount of production,” Dwight Boyd, director of engineering at Grand River Conservation Authority told Cambridge council on Tuesday.
He said the plant will generate about 500 kilowatts of energy, enough to power about 560 homes.
The conservation authority secured a 40-year contract with the Independent Electricity System Operator last fall under its feed-in-tariff program. It will allow them to sell electricity at 23.63 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Hydro-generated power from the 180-year-old dam was first proposed in 1999. The project kept getting put off because it was not financially feasible at the time and the conservation authority had to do some repairs along the way.
“We’ve done our homework. It’s a financially viable project,” Boyd added.
The new plant will cost about $5.2 million to build. Right now the conservation authority has launched an environmental assessment of the project, the first step in a long process. It should be up and running between 2021 and 2022.
Boyd said they will need to assess the impact of the hydro plant’s turbine on fish species in the Grand River, which include three species at risk within the turbine’s reach, among other environment factors. They will also need to have discussions with local anglers who frequently fish downstream of the dam.
Many around the Cambridge council table were worried about what the hydro plant would look like and how its appearance would impact such a heritage-rich part of downtown Galt.
“Esthetics, that is my main concern,” Coun. Frank Monteiro said.
Boyd said the plant’s appearance is also a big issue for nearby businesses such as the Cambridge Mill and Napa Grille and Wine Den, both situated on either side of the historic dam.
Parkhill is what the conservation authority calls a “run of the river” dam which means water flows over top of the dam. The plan is to install the plant against a flood wall on the dam’s west side
opposite the Cambridge Mill where the water can drive a turbine.
The plant will essentially look like a box. Boyd said there is potential to clad it with stone and add fake shutters to give the plant an appealing appearance that would match heritage in the area.
“We’re looking to the river again for hydro power. So it will have an industrial type of flavour to it,” he said.
The conservation authority is expecting to earn about $900,000 from the plant each year. Once the project’s costs are paid off the money will go toward conservation efforts.
Three other dams owned by the conservation authority at Shand, Conestogo and Guelph generate about 1,350 kilowatts, enough to power 1,200 homes. This energy brings in about $450,000 for the conservation authority each year.
The conservation authority owns 27 working dams throughout the Grand River watershed.
The first public open house about the hydro plant is on Tuesday, June 27, between 4 and 8 p.m. in the Falls room at the Cambridge Mill.