| Wreck Cove Hydroelectric System | |
|---|---|
  Location of Wreck Cove Hydroelectric System in Nova Scotia  Wreck Cove Hydroelectric System (Canada) | |
| Country | Canada |
| Location | Wreck Cove, Municipality of the County of Victoria, Nova Scotia |
| Coordinates | 46°39′08″N 60°39′51″W / 46.65218°N 60.66425°W |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1975 |
| Opening date | 27 March 1978[1] |
| Owner(s) | Emera |
| Operator(s) | Nova Scotia Power |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | 12 major gravity dams: D-1 through D-11, plus South Lake Dam, along with associated wing dams[2] |
| Height | The tallest D-7 McMillian at 51 metres (167 ft) |
| Length | The longest D-1 Chéticamp at 1,075 metres (3,527 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Catchment area | 216 square kilometres (83 sq mi) |
| Surface area | Combined area of 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) |
| Hydroelectric Plants | |
| Coordinates | 46°31′53″N 60°26′25″W / 46.531317°N 60.440333°W |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | 365 m (1,197.51 ft) |
| Turbines | 1 at Gisborne Generating Station and 2 x 106 MW francis turbines at Wreck Cove Generating Station |
| Installed capacity | 215.8 MW |
| Annual generation | 318 GWh (1,140 TJ) |
| Website www.nspower.ca | |
Wreck Cove is the largest hydroelectric system in Nova Scotia with a generating capacity of 215.8 MW.[2][3] Constructed from 1975 to 1978, south of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Wreck Cove collects drainage water from 216 square kilometres (83 sq mi) of the Cape Breton Highlands plateau to generate renewable electricity. It consists of two generating stations: the Gisborne Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 3.5 MW, and the Wreck Cove Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 212 MW,[4] producing on average 318 GWh annually—enough energy to power about 30,000 homes.[1]
There are 33 hydro stations across Nova Scotia, with a total capacity of 400 MW. Wreck Cove makes up half of that hydro capacity, making it a key provider of reliable, renewable energy needed to complement and back up the 600 MW of clean—but unpredictable—wind power on the province's electrical system. The Wreck Cove hydroelectric facility is the only one in the province that can go from zero to full output in under 10 minutes.[5]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
40Yearswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Nova Scotia Power Incorporated Hydro Asset Study" (PDF). Nova Scotia Power 2020 Integrated Resource Plan. Nova Scotia Power Inc. 21 December 2018. p. 52. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Wreck Cove". Nova Scotia Power Hydro & Tidal Power. Nova Scotia Power. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ King, Nancy (2 March 2020). "Nova Scotia Power proposes $110-million modernization at Wreck Cove". Cape Breton Post. SaltWire Network. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ McNeil, Greg (7 July 2015). "Public heads underground to tour Wreck Cove Hydro facility". Cape Breton Post. SaltWire Network. Retrieved 5 April 2020.