Consistent growth, combined with an expanding industrial park, has prompted Manitoba Hydro to plan for a new distribution supply centre (DSC) north of Altona.
According to the Crown corporation, the new DSC will increase reliability, improve voltage levels, and support growth in the community, including meeting demand from the Altona Industrial Park.
"In Altona, the ten-year average historical load growth is approximately two-point-four per cent a year and it's been steady," explained Bruce Owen, Media Relations spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro. "With the industrial park, there's been requests for even more power in order to facilitate these larger customers and their operations."
This DSC will supplement the older sub-station located on Highway 201 on the west side of town, where Owen says the capacity is nearly maxed out.
"To try and expand it, it's just not feasible because it's on the opposite side of town (from the industrial park)," he explained. "So the need for this new station north of the industrial park, puts it almost dead reckoning to meet that demand of those larger customers."
The new DSC will be located on Road 9 North approximately one kilometre west of Hwy. 30.
"People who think of sub stations, there's a lot of poles and equipment above ground and surrounded by a fence. A distribution supply centre is almost that, but it's turned upside down," said Owen. "It's a series of green boxes not surrounded by a fence, but we're able, through this system, to quickly meet the power needs of the community not only today but in years going forward."
Construction is anticipated to begin this spring and summer with an in-service date in the fall. This schedule may change.