Snare shutdown cost power corp $630K in diesel

The Northwest Territories Power Corporation announced its Snare Rapids Hydro Unit is back online, after more than a month-long shut down that cost it $630,000 in diesel.

The unit went offline on Feb. 2, when the power corporation's control centre's alarms indicated there were problems with the generator, a release states.

NTPC CEO Noel Voykin said staff and contractors worked to return Snare Rapids to service sooner than they originally estimated for the repair.

"Aging hydro infrastructure will continue topose challenges in maintaining reliable electricity supply to customers in the North andSouth Slave regions," he said.

The failure of equipment in the main generator caused the original shutdown, the release states. Two of its 56 rotor poles failed and were sent offsite for repair.

The unit was tested in the last 24 hours and is considered fully functional, the power corporation says.

The total cost of the shutdown is unknown at this time, the release states. The power corporation is 100 per cent owned by the territorial government.