posted in - Project Updates
The Tunney’s Pasture Pumphouse is situated next to the Ottawa River by Remic Rapids. This pumphouse has two self-cleaning river water inlet screens and four large electrically driven river water pumps for conveying condensing/cooling water to the main plant. The river water intake facility, or pumphouse, is how the Tunney’s Pasture Central Energy Centre pumps water to the condenser side of the electric chillers that cool the buildings in the summer. In winter months, usually starting mid-November, the river water temperature drops to below 4 degrees and operations switch to using free cooling from the river water. Once the water is used, clean water is fed back into the river through the outflow pipe. As part of preventative maintenance to help the plants operate more efficiently and safely, annual maintenance is performed. Bi-annually in the spring and fall the intake screens at the Tunney’s Pasture pumphouse are cleaned and rid of debris from the Ottawa River. The summer intake screens are located 310 feet out from the pump house and approximately 20 feet below water level enroute to the water intake facility, and the energy centre.
Equans Services Canada & US sub-contracts ODS Marine for all inspections and work to be completed underwater. A diver will enter the water to perform a closed-circuit television (CCTV) video inspection on the conditions of the inlet and outlet piping. The inspection also includes (not limited to):
· Cleaning & inspection of intake & outfall slide gates;
· Cleaning, inspection & removal of winter screens;
· Removing debris from area around intake structure; and,
· Providing underwater CCTV video inspection unit & raw video files
The data from the river water intake facility are presented to Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada in a corresponding monthly report and demonstrate how Equans Services Canada & US works with Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada to operate and maintain the energy centres and the district energy system efficiently and safely. Collaborating in the public-private partnership is how the Government of Canada will achieve their goals of reducing GHG emissions and creating a more sustainable Canada.