Taltson Hydro plant returns to service after nearly two years of overhaul
26/08/2025
Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) has announced that the Taltson Hydro Unit has returned to service after being shut down since May 2023 for a ‘significant’ overhaul.
The overhaul included the replacement of key components such as the turbine and turbine shaft, rotor and generator, as well as upgrading of ancillary plant equipment that was also at end of life, such as control panels and vibration monitoring equipment. Winter road construction to Taltson over the past several years was also required to allow equipment and large components to be transported to site. The Taltson facility normally has fly-in access only.
The Taltson unit was shut down in May 2023 to allow the overhaul to start. South Slave hydro communities were powered by diesel generators while Taltson was offline. The diesel generators are still available to provide back-up power, but the refurbished hydro facility is once again providing primary power to Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Enterprise and K’atl’oDeeche First Nation. The overhaul was originally intended to be completed in November 2023, but a seven-week evacuation of the site due to wildfires in 2023, followed by issues that emerged during initial commissioning in February 2024 and in early 2025, extended the project.
An interim solution to technical issues that were identified earlier this year has been put in place, allowing the hydro unit to return to commercial operation. Later this summer, the facility will be taken offline for a brief period to install the permanent
solution.
The project received more than $17.8 million from the Government of Canada through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). Final costs for the overhaul are still being assessed but are expected to be approximately $97.8 million after federal funding.
This includes approximately $70 million in project costs and approximately $45 million in fuel and other operational costs required to keep the lights in the South Slave on while Taltson Hydro was offline.
NTPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NT Hydro, which in turn is 100% owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories.
