Puntledge River Hatchery Water Supply Energy Recovery

The Puntledge River is renowned by sports fishermen for its two vigorous races of chinook salmon as well as significant numbers of other salmon species and steelhead trout. The hatchery was constructed to save these chinook salmon and to rebuild other species to healthy levels.

Water Street Engineering developed an energy recovery design to operate under BC Hydro’s net revenue metering program and generate 700 MWh/yr.  The feasibility assessment showed that excess water supply head could be cost-effectively converted by a pump-as-turbine installation in the existing aeration building.

WSE subsequently led the detailed design of the turbine installation and water supply piping upgrades including a process narrative detailing the proposed operation of the revised supply system for the hatchery.  The project included careful staging of the renovation to maintain hatchery flows while revamping piping, instrumentation, and controls.

The generator is operational and produces 100 kW fully offsetting the hatchery’s electrical demands.