Pocaterra Penstock Replacement

The Pocaterra Hydro Facility (Pocaterra), located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, is one of TransAlta’s three hydro plants on the Kananaskis River. Pocaterra generates power by diverting water from the Lower Kananaskis Lake to turn a turbine. The water is all returned to the Kananaskis River downstream of the facility. The pipe that diverts the water, also known as a penstock, required upgrading. Constructed in 1955, the penstock had reached the end of its normal life span and was leaking at numerous locations along its 1.37 km stretch. After a detailed analysis, TransAlta decided to replace the wood stave penstock with a new steel one which would improve the efficient use of water.

New penstock now in operation

Completed on schedule in early November, the new penstock is now buried (the old one was above-ground). Burying the penstock reduces the visual impacts at the site. The new penstock was put into operation on November 15, 2012 at which time the Pocaterra hydro plant resumed operations. Reclamation work, including grass planting, and final inspections will be done in spring 2013.

Our ongoing commitment

TransAlta is committed to being a good neighbour and building long-term relationships with the community. Through a comprehensive public consultation process, TransAlta provided several opportunities for area residents, businesses and First Nations to learn more about the penstock replacement and provide feedback.

Further information

For further information on the Pocaterra penstock replacement contact us at
1-877-5-GREEN-5 (1-877-547-3365) ext. 1
or
Pocaterra@transalta.com

Constructed in 1955, the Pocaterra Hydro Facility penstock required upgrading as it had reached the end of its normal life span.
Constructed in 1955, the Pocaterra Hydro Facility penstock required upgrading as it had reached the end of its normal life span.
The new penstock sits below ground in a parallel alignment to where the old one used to be - this was done to minimize any potential impacts to the environment.
The new penstock sits below ground in a parallel alignment to where the old one used to be – this was done to minimize any potential impacts to the environment.

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