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Niagara Falls Tunnel Project: Ontario Power Generation

A Major OPG Clean-Energy Project
When someone says “Niagara Falls” what comes to mind? The spectacular Horseshoe Falls? The victory won at the Battle of Queenston Heights? How about the city’s reputation as the Honeymoon Capital of the World? Now Canadians have another reason to be proud of Niagara Falls—the Niagara Tunnel, a major clean-energy project by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Ontario’s publicly owned power utility. (more…)

Source: cnet.com
NIAGARA FALLS, Canada–At one time, it was the largest producer of hydroelectric power on the planet. That was in 1961. Today, it is still New York State’s preeminent hydropower facility, and it shares some of the glory of one of the most awesome spectacles in the world.

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Photo by MHBaker

Printed from the Review

Big Becky moves out of troublesome rock conditions
Tunnel project still behind schedule, but pace improved over spring, OPG says
Posted By Corey Larocque

Big Becky has burrowed past the tricky rock conditions of the St. Davids gorge and Ontario Power Generation hopes the pace will quicken on its Niagara Tunnel Project, the $600-million construction of a third hydro tunnel.

The tunnel-boring machine, nicknamed Big Becky, had advanced 2,399 metres by the end of June, says Ontario Power Generation’s second quarterly report for 2008.

That’s less than one-quarter of the length of the entire 10.4-kilometre tunnel which will eventually connect the upper Niagara River to the Sir Adam Beck generating stations in the north end of Niagara Falls.

“Progress of the tunnel boring machine has recently increased since completion of the excavation under the St. David’s gorge,” states the report released Friday by the provincially-owned electricity generating company.
(more…)

Printed by the Review

Big Becky’s a little slow; Tunnel drill could be three years behind schedule
Posted By COREY LAROCQUE

Big Becky has passed the two two-kilometre point in the Niagara Tunnel Project, but is so far behind that Ontario Power Generation and Strabag AG are reviewing the cost of the $630-million project and its schedule.

A review was one of the items announced in OPG’s quarterly report covering the first three months of this year.

“The Niagara tunnel is progressing slower than planned. The drilling conditions have been challenging,” president and chief executive officer Jim Hankinson said Friday. (more…)

Printed by the Review

More delays for Big Becky; Rock conditions may force project to alter course
Posted By COREY LAROCQUE

Big Becky might have to chart a new course and revise her schedule to make up for time lost while digging through difficult rock conditions.

Progress on the Niagara Tunnel Project continues to be slower than both Ontario Power Generation and Strabag AG, the Austrian company hired to build the 10.4-kilometre tunnel, expected, officials with both companies say.

“You’re dealing with nature. You can’t predict the rock condition for 10 kilometres,” said Ernst Gschnitzer, Strabag’s project manager, who oversees the construction of a third hydro tunnel under the city of Niagara Falls.

What excavators call “overbreak” continues to be the problem, the same situation that slowed progress last year. Once Big Becky, the nickname for the $35-million tunnel-boring machine, cuts a portion of the tunnel, loose rock from the ceiling falls in behind the machine. (more…)

Printed from the Review

Rock conditions slowing progress on hydro tunnel
Posted By COREY LAROCQUE

Big Becky was built for size, not for speed.

The world’s largest hard-rock boring machine has gone just one-third the distance it was expected to travel in the first year since work began on a third hydro tunnel under the city of Niagara Falls, officials involved in the Niagara Tunnel Project say. (more…)

Printed from the Review

Chasing Big Becky

RAY SPITERI

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 – 07:00

Local News – The world’s largest hard-rock tunnel-boring machine has met some resistance.

Already more than 870 metres into the ground, the drill dubbed Big Becky continues to progress on its laborious crawl under the city, drilling through various rock formations.

But after breaking through some Whirlpool sandstone – a hard, abrasive type of rock – the $35-million, 135-metre-long machine has bumped into a bit of Queenston shale, which is much softer than its Whirlpool counterpart. (more…)

Printed from Niagara This Week

Garry Beck figures he has a way to reduce gridlock on the highways between Niagara and Toronto. His idea, he said, would save provincial taxpayers millions of dollars and give the region’s economy a big shot in the arm.Beck, a candidate for alderman in the city of Niagara Falls, thinks it’s time for a tunnel to be bored beneath Lake Ontario, linking Niagara and Toronto in much the same way the Channel Tunnel project, nicknamed the Chunnel, connected England with the European mainland beneath the English Channel.

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