Facts

How Hydro Power Works

The diagram shown below outlines the standard components in a large scale hydro-electric facility. Hydro facilities vary in size and in design. Adjustments to their layout may be made, but the essential components usually remain the same.  There are usually five essential components to a hydro-electric plant besides a dam: the intake, penstock, turbine, generator, and the tailrace.

The electricity generating process works in this manner: water flows into the intake, through the penstock. The water then turns the turbine, which connects to the generator, this action generates electricity; the water passes into the tailrace and back into the river system. The turbine and the generator function jointly and are housed together in a powerhouse. The control gate can be managed to let in more or less water depending on the flow of the water body.

A dam is a major component of a hydro-electric plant however another similar component may be used instead from time to time. In the McGraw Falls Hydro-Electric project, there is no traditional dam; instead a weir has been installed. A weir is similar to a dam, but a weir allows water to pass over the top of it, instead of significantly impeding the rivers flow as a traditional dam would. A weir can sometimes be referred to as a dam and for simplicity sake McGraw Falls Water Power will often refer to the weir at McGraw Falls as a dam.

Why Hydro?

Hydro power is among the safest and most environmentally sound technologies used to generate electricity in North America, particularly when these projects are small scale projects. These projects can be used to enhance wildlife habitat by creating wetlands and restoring ecosystem health. 

History of Hydro-Electric in Northern Ontario

There is a long standing history of hydro-electric generation within Ontario, particularly in Northern Ontario. Units one and two at Kakabeka Falls on the Kaministiquia River began generating in 1906 and provided power to Fort William and Prince Arthur. Units 3 and 4 at Kakabeka Falls also predate most in the region, beginning operation in 1911 and 1914 respectively. These were followed by Cameron Falls Station on the Nipigon River and Alexander Falls Station also on the Nipigon River. Waterpower has been a major source of electricity in Northern Ontario for nearly a century.

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The McGraw Falls Project

The McGraw Falls site was specifically selected for development based upon the available hydraulic capacity and low environmental impact.  The project will be designed and operated as an intermittent peaking generating station.

The current project relies on the concrete weir which exists at McGraw Falls, this weir was originally a wooden weir built by the Great Lakes Paper Company in the 1930s for use in their log drives. The Ministry of Natural Resources, replaced it with the current concrete structure in 1969.

Both the Canadian government and the Ontario government made commitments to contribute to the addition of new sources of renewable energy. Hydro power in Ontario is a largely under used resource, with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources estimating that there is over 2000 megawatts of hydro-electric power not being harnessed for power production. Small power projects such as the McGraw Falls hydro-electric project built using existing infrastructure are an important part of this ongoing commitment to enhance the Canadian renewable electricity supply.

If you have any further questions on hydro-electric generation please check out the links section, or contact us.