Overview
- The province and BC Hydro announced the project and selected BC Hydro-owned land beside the Vancouver Island Terminal Substation near Duncan as the preferred site for at least 100 MW of storage.
- BC Hydro plans to retain ownership and day-to-day operation of the battery while using a competitive process to hire private firms for design, construction and possible long-term maintenance.
- BC Hydro will issue a request for supplier qualifications on 30 July 2026 to pre-qualify companies, with a request for proposals expected later in 2026.
- BC Hydro says the battery will store electricity when demand is low and dispatch it during peak demand or system disruptions to shore up reliability as Vancouver Island faces rising load from housing growth and more electric vehicles.
- The facility is targeted to enter service by 2030 and is the first project under BC Hydro’s Powering Growth plan, which has identified up to 500 MW of potential battery capacity across British Columbia.