POWER July 2014 - 63

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Global Business Reports
POWER BRITISH COLUMBIA
skills, but we need a strong project
base in this province on which to build.
It is essential that we do not lose
the knowledge base that now resides in
our young engineers. "
Although not an insurmountable challenge,
extreme weather conditions in the central
and northern parts of BC, with snow
lasting from November to March,
adds another layer of complexity when it
comes to infrastructure build. Guy Lemieux,
president of Lex Engineering that specializes
in the design and build of substations
and transmission lines explains some of the
special adjustments needed for their
work in the province, " Lex transmission
line and substations are designed to
accommodate extreme temperatures
of minus 50 'C and plus 40 'C. Transmission
line conductors are sagged to not over
tension at minus 50 'C and to provide
the required vertical clearance at maximum
sag during full load at maximum ambient
temperature. "
Engineering irms also tend deal with the
winter conditions by building as much of
the substation and transmission line components
at a manufacturing facility before
transporting it to the remote locations
where it is then assembled.
Infrastructure precedes development,
which makes getting it out a challenge.
" Arguably, the biggest problem with
removing
old
infrastructure, especially
in the metropolitan areas, is that site
access conditions have signiicantly changed
since infrastructure installation. Historically,
transformers were moved by rail or
barge; rail sidings have since closed, and
barge sites have been replaced with
condominiums, " commented David Stroud
of Apex Industrial Movers.
As BC Hydro and the IPP sector are both
active in developing projects, the province's
logistics
sector has seen an increased
workload as massive generation and
transmission components are
imported
from around the world and often sent inland
via rail, river and/or road. " Our growth
has come from both BC Hydro and IPPs.
BC Hydro has been enacting system
upgrades, new sub-stations as well as
replacing old infrastructure. When working
with IPPs, there are additional site issues
tending to be more in rugged remote
terrain and dificult to access areas; BC
July 2014
Global Business Reports // POWER BRITISH COLUMBIA
7
Mobile hoppers being lifted onto Amix's Arctic Tuk barge. Photo courtesy of Amix Heavy Lift.
more accessible.
Hydro's locations are easier to access,
being generally near major infrastructure,
but BC Hydro's equipment is usually
much larger, " added John Brise of Apex
Industrial Movers.
Given BC's closer proximity to Asian manufacturing
centers, it is surprising that much
of Western
Canada's oversized industrial
components arrive in a port such as
Houston and are moved overland. Canadian
companies such as Apex, Triton Transport,
T-Lane Transportation and Amix Heavy
Lift are working to make British Columbia
Amix Heavy Lift acquired a ringer-crane
in 2005
and
placed it on its
Arctic
Tuk barge in order to move heavy
equipment, including transmission
cable spools, and generation turbines of up
to 380 mt. " Thereare substantial savings in
time and money; companies can import
straight into a British Columbian port,
utilize our services of heavy-lifting equipment,
and then truck the cargo to site, "
said Clarke Longmuir, president of Amix
Heavy Lift. *

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POWER July 2014

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