The Impact of Technology Selection on
Stakeholder Acceptance & Permitting
EUCI Conference
San Diego, California
Rod Lenfest
Transmission & Business Development
rod_lenfest@sbp-rts.com
www.SBP-RTS.com
• Where is the Routing?
• Who are the Stakeholders?
• What is the Technology?
• What are the Impacts?
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•
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•
Juan de Fuca Cable Project
Vancouver Island Cable Project
Technology
Permitting Requirements
Consultation and Collaboration
www.SBP-RTS.com
Project Description -
Location
Connects converter
stations near existing
substations.
Approximate cable lengths:
Proposed length on B.C. side: 12 km
Proposed length on WA side:
3 km
Length at sea:
34 km
Victoria to Port Angeles:
49 km
Route Selection Methodology
Process involves:
• Environmental studies
• Evaluation of study results
• Consultation with stakeholders
• Decision based on technical
feasibility, minimizing
environmental impacts
Aerial view of possible line
route from foreshore, under
Liberty Street to proposed
converter station location in
Port Angeles
-First Nations on southern Vancouver Island; Indian and Northern
Affairs Canada; plus the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group who may
have possible interest in marine issues.
-Involved Municipal and Regional Governments including the
Mayors and Council members from Port Angeles, Esquimalt,
View Royal, Highlands, Saanich and the Capital Region District.
-BC Hydro, BCTC, BPA
- Other Canadian and British Columbian agencies including the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; Department of
National Defense; Canadian Forces Base – Esquimalt; Environment
Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Transport Canada; BC One
Line; BC Safety Authority; Canadian Coast Guard-Vessel Traffic
Services; Victoria Port Authority; Land and Water BC, Inc.; BC
Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources; BC Ministry of
Sustainable Resource Management; BC Ministry of Tourism, Sport
and the Arts; BC Ministry of Transport; and the Pacific Pilotage
Authority.
- All involved Chambers of Commerce and economic development
corporations.
- The Commercial fishers.
Environmental non-governmental organizations, such as the Canadian
Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS); the David Suzuki Foundation;
Sierra Club of Canada – BC Chapter; Victoria and Esquimalt Harbour
Environmental Action Program (VEHEAP); BC Sustainable Energy
Association; Dogwood Initiative; Georgia Straight Alliance; Georgia
Straight Crossing Coalition; Living Oceans Society; Victoria and
Esquimalt Harbour Society and the Northwest Energy Coalition.
- Other utilities and corporations, including Alcan, ENMAX Power Corp.,
EPCOR Power Services Ltd., FortisBC, Teck Cominco Ltd. Telus,
Terasen Gas, Group Telecom, Southern Railway, Canadian Railway /
Rail America, and TransAlta.
- Property owners directly affected by cable siting.
HVDC Light® Technology
• State-of-the-Art HVDC
light® Technology
• Low environmental
impact
• No fluctuating electromagnetic field (EMF)
• Non-liquid insulation
Gotland HVDC Light® cables.
Photo courtesy of ABB.
…Technology
All cables buried - No overhead lines
AC transmission:
HVDC Light®:
. . .Technology
Converter station
needed to convert
DC to AC and vice
versa
HVDC Light® converter
stations provide voltage
stability to existing
transmission grids
Stakeholder Consultation and Collaboration
Emphasis for Public Consultation
• Technology:
- no fluctuating EMF
- buried facilities
- enclosed converter stations
- well-understood installation
• Other Projects
- Neptune
- Murraylink, Directlink
- Cross-Sound Cable
- European Experience
• Expected Impacts
- Similar to installation of utilities
- traffic disruption, noise
- quick installation
Collaboration with Towns
• Utilities:
- Water pipelines
- Sewer pipelines
- Other utilities
- Third-party utilities
• Other Infrastructure:
- Sidewalks, traffic control
- Pavement, road improvements
• Public Benefits
- Parks
- Bike paths, walking trails
Current in Two Lines
…Technology
Static magnetic field is similar to the Earth’s
magnetic field
Magnetic
fields
cancel out
Terrestrial Installation
Project Description –
Installation
On Land:
•Cables buried all the way to converter station
Diagram of cable installation beneath road right-of-way
Installation – Marine to Terrestrial Transition
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD)
will be used to avoid adverse
environmental effects.
 A versatile technology that uses
a precision-guided directional
system to bore a hole through soil
or rock.
Photo courtesy of the Crossing Company
An HDD rig
As a result, the intertidal zone would
be undisturbed by cable installation.
…installation & construction
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Minimizes impacts to
sensitive aquatic
habitats:
Drill Entry
Low tide
Eelgrass
•
Rivers and
riparian areas
•
Intertidal zone.
Exit
Drill Hole
Drill
Path
Total Drilling
Distance
Project Description –
Installation
Adjacent to rail tracks:
Rail Grade
Access Trail
HVDC
Cables
Rock fill or
natural ground
cable installation within railway right-of-way
Environmental Permitting Requirements
Proposed Marine Studies
• Physical:
- Bathymetry
- Geotechnical
- Terrain and obstacles
- Archaeology
- Offshore core sampling
• Biological
- Mammals
- Fisheries
- Birds
- Nearshore ecosystem
• Socio-economic studies
- Traditional use and knowledge
Proposed Terrestrial Studies
• Physical:
- Geotechnical
- Hydrology
- Archaeology
- Noise
• Biological
- Wildlife and avifauna
- Vegetation
• Socio-economic studies
- Public Health, Safety
Sea Breeze is committed to a high
standard of consultation with any
individuals or groups who may be
affected by the Project.
Summary
Our experience shows:
- that once the technology is explained, both local
governments and the public readily accept a transmission
project involving HVDC Light.
- it is important to follow a systematic routing method, with
key stakeholder consultation and public relations as a
critical part of the process.
- meeting with town civil engineers and stressing the
opportunities for collaboration is a key step in highlighting
the benefits of HVDC Light transmission systems.