Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro says issues stemming from an ice storm in Labrador, which caused damage to a portion of the Labrador-Island link, do not come as a surprise.
A number of lines that run from Newfoundland to the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric generating station were damaged over the weekend.
CEO Jennifer Williams says they are working with both contractors and internal employees to fix the damage, but she can’t comment on the potential cost.
The damage, she explains, is related to ice capacity on different portions of the power lines.
The portion that was damaged can withstand two inches of ice all around; they received three inches. Two kilometers away the lines are built to withstand four-and-a-half inches. She says if the track was a bit different, there would have been no damage.
Williams says due to climate change and limited weather data for sections of the LIL during the design phase, they are discovering “micro-climates” along the line.
She says crews will now look at ways in which capacity can be built along that section of the system to account for future challenges.
Williams says it comes down to a “cost and reliability balance question.” Do they invest money to upgrade all the two inch capacity lines, or deal with issues as they arise? She says they need to be careful not to over invest because that would impact electricity rates.
Earlier Story
Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro will provide an update this morning on the power lines running between Newfoundland and the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric generating station in Labrador.
The lines were damaged during an ice storm in southern Labrador last weekend, throwing them off-line. They’re expected to be back in service within two weeks.
Hydro’s president and CEO Jennifer Williams will also speak to the latest quarterly report on the troubled Labrador-Island Link.
Williams will meet with media at 10 a.m. at the utility’s offices in St. John’s, and VOCM News will be there.