Justification
Q: How would the Project benefit Vancouver
Island?
- The project would improve transmission system reliability
and allow for more flow of electricity from the Mainland
to Vancouver Island. This flow would help meet current
and future electricity needs of Vancouver Island
residents.
- Regional renewable energy producers could
use the JdF Cable as an avenue to get electricity
to the market. This would encourage and promote development
of renewable resources on both sides of the border,
benefiting residents of both Canada and the U.S.
by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (One
of Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable, LP’s
parent companies is Sea Breeze Power Corp. which
is involved in the development of wind power and ‘run-of-river’ hydro).
- On a more local level, Sea Breeze is committed
to leaving construction areas in better condition
than before construction began. Sea Breeze
is very interested in collaborating with municipalities
on infrastructure upgrades where they make sense.
- The Juan de Fuca Cable Project will safeguard
Vancouver Island from emergency power shortages.
- The
Cable would allow power to flow between the U.S.
and Canada.
- Improving access to electricity markets for power
producers would promote energy development in B.C.,
which could promote job creation and provide new
sources of provincial revenue.
- HVDC Light® is
more environmentally benign than AC technology.
The Cable will be sited, designed, constructed and
operated in a manner that will avoid and minimize
impacts to environmental and marine resources.
Electric and Magnetic
Fields
Q: What is the difference between AC and DC?
The magnetic field surrounding a DC cable is constant,
much like that of the Earth’s own magnetic field.
“AC” stands for “Alternating
Current,” and “DC” for “Direct
Current”. DC current flows steadily in
a single direction. AC current continuously
switches direction; alternating between going "forwards" and
going "backwards”. If this repetition
occurs sixty times per second, then the “frequency” of
repetition is said to be 60 Hertz (cycles per second). Sixty
Hertz is the standard for North American utility companies.
DC power, since it does not vary repetitively, is said
to have zero frequency.
The flow of current in a cable creates a magnetic
field around that cable. Since the current in
DC systems is constant, and does not vary, the magnetic
field around the cable also is constant and unvarying. On
the other hand, the changing current in cables carrying
AC current creates a varying electromagnetic field
(EMF) around the AC cable.
This varying EMF in AC cables can induce electrical
voltages and currents in nearby objects (including
people and other organisms), which is thought by some
to be harmful.
Q: Are EMFs emitted from the Juan de Fuca
Cable?
As noted in the response to the previous
question, DC cables do not generate fluctuating EMFs. The
static magnetic field surrounding a DC cable is weak,
and the strength of the field falls off rapidly with
distance from the cable.
The strength of magnetic fields is measured in units
of “Gauss". Naturally occurring magnetic fields,
such as that of the Earth, are relatively weak, and
are measured in milli-Gauss (1 milliGauss is 1/1000
of a Gauss). In the Vancouver area the Earth’s
magnetic field strength is roughly 570 milliGauss.
Since the Juan de Fuca Cable will be buried to a depth
of 1 to 2 metres, the field strength for someone standing
on the ground directly above it will be only slightly
more than the Earth’s natural magnetic field. As
their distance from the cable increases, the field
strength falls off rapidly.
To put this field strength in perspective, the International
Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
has established protection guidelines for general,
continuous, public exposure to static (DC) fields.
Constant exposure of up to 400,000 milliGauss is considered
safe by these guidelines, which is roughly 500 times
the strength of the field that would be created by
the Juan de Fuca Cable.
Q: Are there any safety issues for kids playing near
HVDC cables (either buried under streets or under a
multi-use trail)?
As noted in the response to the previous
question, ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection) health and safety guidelines
allow continuous exposures to DC magnetic fields at
levels up to 400,000 mG, Children playing near the
cable will experience a maximum momentary field strength
of less than 1/500 of that amount.
Q: Would
it be safe to build a bike path/trail over the cable?
People on the trail would be only one meter away
from the cable, as opposed to a house that is 8-10
m away.
As
stated before, the change to the Earth’s magnetic
field is too weak to be a health & safety issue. Even
directly over the cables the MF will be 400-1000 times
lower than exposure limits recommended by International
Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
and International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety
(ICES). The cables would not significantly affect
the existing magnetic field levels in houses along
the proposed route.
HVDC
Q: Why Use HVDC Light®?
HVDC Light® is state-of-the-art power
transmission technology that is environmentally friendly,
and transmits power using underground and submarine
cables. It is particularly useful in today’s
electrical networks where systems need to be flexible,
allow for large variations and frequent changes in
supply and demand, and meet tougher environmental regulations
and community acceptance standards. HVDC Light® is
manufactured by ABB Inc., one of the world’s
largest and most successful electrical manufacturing
and engineering companies.
Some environmental benefits include:
- Static magnetic fields are virtually eliminated
since HVDC Light® cables
are laid in pairs with DC currents in opposite directions.
- No risk of oil spill.
- The cable insulation is polyethylene (PE) based
and is not dangerous.
- The cable metals can be reused.
Power transmission via HVDC Light® cables means:
- No visual impact
- No ground current
- No fluctuating electromagnetic fields.
- Low losses - HVDC cables are generally much more
efficient for long distance transmissions than AC
cables, particularly for high power.
- Long lifetime - The inherent lifetime of insulating
materials is better for HVDC than for AC.
- No audible noise, unlike overhead lines
Q: Are there
HVDC lines in BC? How about around Canada and the world?
There is an HVDC cable from
the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island.
There are many HVDC systems throughout the world, many
of which pass through residential communities, and
at the moment there are three major HVDC lines in Canada:
- The existing link from Delta to Cowichan on Vancouver
Island
- A 1,500 km long system from northern Quebec near
James Bay to Boston.
- In Manitoba there is a 900 km line from Gillam
in the north through Grand Rapids to the suburbs
of Winnipeg.
Q: Is
there another project with the same Megawatt rating
(550 Megawatts), in a similar community? And does
data exist that shows that this project is safe in
these exact conditions?
There
is no such information on an exactly comparable installation.
However, it is important to note that there is currently
an AC cable that could carry up to 600 MW already installed
under Craigflower Road. The JdF Cable could not
carry more than its capacity of 550 MW.
Also worth noting is that there is an HVDC Light® project
in Australia called the Murraylink Cable which is similar
and operates safely in a residential environment. The
cable route uses existing roads or rights-of way.
In 2002, the Murraylink project won the Case EARTH
Award for Environmental Excellence for best practice
and innovation in the environmental management of civil
construction projects.
Timeline
Q: How long will construction of this Project
take?
It is expected that construction will
take about 15 months.
Construction would occur in stages, with installations
under city streets progressing at around 50m per
day. Construction of the converter station would
take around 7 months.
Permitting
Q: What kind of regulatory process must the Project
go through prior to construction?
The Juan de Fuca Cable Project involves:
- A review (including a public hearing) conducted
by the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) leading
to the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity (CPCN). The NEB will be the regulatory
agency with final authorization on this project in
Canada, and will work with other agencies as part
of the approval process. The NEB will determine
whether the project is required based on present
and future public need.
- An environmental assessment consistent with the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
- A review conducted by the US Department of Energy
leading to the issuance of a Presidential Permit,
including an Environmental Impact Statement.
- Permits, authorizations or consultation from a
variety of other Canadian and U.S. regulatory agencies
Q: Why is Sea Breeze proposing to bury
the cable under existing streets?
Most streets are designated as utility rights-of-way,
and Sea Breeze believes that using areas that are already
designated as utility rights-of-way reduces disturbance
to the environment. By burying the cable, the result
is that there would be no visual impact and continued
recreation and transportation usage of the overlying
real estate will be unimpeded.
Burial of the cable would be similar to the installation
of other utilities, such as a phone cable. Sea Breeze
will work with municipalities to ensure areas impacted
by construction are restored to the same condition
as prior to construction, or are improved upon. Installation
of the Cable would be expected to proceed at roughly
50 m/day, and the disturbance at any given residence
would likely be only a day or two.
Technical Aspects
Q: How deep would the cables be buried?
The cables will be buried between 1-2m deep, or more
if necessary. Specific depths will be established in
consultation with municipalities and other utility
owners along the route.
Based on discussions with the marine consultants regarding
the expected seabed conditions, it is likely that 1m
is a reasonable depth of cover along the proposed marine
route.
Q: How long is the cable in total? How much of the
cable is in the Canadian portion of the route?
The total length is just under 50 km. The length
of the Canadian portion is approximately 32 km.
Q: How much of the cable is on land and how
much under the sea?
The project involves a buried terrestrial
cable installation of approximately 13km in the Victoria
area, 34km undersea between Victoria and Port Angeles,
and 2km from the landfall site to the converter station.
Q: What is the life expectancy of the Juan de Fuca
Cable?
The expected life of Juan de Fuca cable is about
60 years.
Q: Would there be a lot of noise during construction?
Noise impacts from the cable installation would
be temporary, and would be similar to those produced
from the installation of other utilities, such as a
phone cable. Noise suppressors for some construction
equipment have been used in similar projects, with
positive results.
Q: Will there be any noise during operation?
No; HVDC cables do not make any noise.
Q How will traffic be affected during
construction?
Measures to reduce the disruption
will be established in consultation with municipal
staff. Such measures will include a comprehensive traffic
management plan (including on-going public notification
during construction, and alternative parking for areas
where parking may impact businesses). Sea Breeze
will also promptly reconstruct the roads once installation
of the cable is finished. In consultation with
municipal staff, one lane of the road will remain open
so that traffic can flow around the work site during
construction. On
extremely busy streets, Sea Breeze will work with municipal
staff to determine the most appropriate schedule for
the construction work.
Public Consultation
Q: How has Sea Breeze been
consulting with the public?
Sea Breeze recognizes the importance of access to
reliable information when it comes to keeping up to
date on what’s happening in your community. Since
the beginning of 2005 we have:
- Identified people with interest in the project
and sent information with maps and updates.
- Held open houses and information sessions to provide
an opportunity for interested parties to ask questions
and voice their concerns directly to Sea Breeze staff.
- Provided comment sheets both at open houses and
online to gather input and address concerns/questions.
- Provided contact information and have been available
to provide interested parties with the opportunity
to contact Sea Breeze staff directly.
- Sent emails regularly with project updates to a
list of identified interested parties.
- Made presentations to municipal councils about
the Project.
Landowners and residents near the proposed cable route
were sent information about the Juan de Fuca Project
via mail, and were invited to open houses in July,
September and October 2005 and January 2006 to learn
more about the technology being used and the rationale
behind the routing. A
public information session was also held in April 2006
in the town of View Royal on Vancouver Island regarding
HVDC Light® technology
and Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs).
Company Background
Q: Who is responsible for this project?
Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable LP is
a special purpose entity that was formed to develop
transmission opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. It
is a partnership between Sea Breeze Power Corp., a
Vancouver-based renewable energy developer, Boundless
Energy NW, Inc., (''Boundless'') a transmission and
utility engineering company based in York Harbor, Maine
and a fund of EIF Group; a private equity fund manager.
Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable LP has two subsidiaries
to manage the multi-jurisdictional affairs of an international
power line: Sea Breeze Victoria Converter Corporation
carries out Canadian operations, and Sea Breeze Olympic
Converter LP performs US permitting and contracting. ABB
Inc., an international cable design, manufacturing,
and installation company, will be engaged to design
and build the project using their HVDC Light® technology.
The Sea Breeze team works to help prepare Canada for
a future sustained by green energy.
- Sea Breeze Power Corp. is
a Vancouver-based developer of renewable energy projects,
with a 450 MW wind farm permitted on Vancouver Island
and a 25 MW run-of-river hydro project in the permitting
process on the Mainland.
- Boundless Energy LLC is
the founder of the Neptune Project, a transmission
project that is similar to the Juan de Fuca Cable
Project. Neptune
is a 600 MW, 500 KV, HVDC system connecting the transmission
systems of the Long Island Power Authority, servicing
Long Island, New York, and First Energy Corp., serving
northern coastal New Jersey. The principals of Boundless
also have management experience in the construction
and operation of the Hydro Quebec Phase 1 and Phase
2 Projects, as well as the Highgate, Vermont Project.
- ABB Inc. will be responsible
for cable design, manufacturing and construction.
ABB is a highly experienced electrical manufacturing
and engineering company with 50 years of experience
with the development and installation of HVDC. ABB’s
past projects include:
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