Capilano Substation (CAP) is an existing 12kV, 56.5MVA substation owned by BC Hydro and located in North Vancouver, with nine feeders and one standby. It was built in 1950 and had been a power supply for years for the North Shore area. In 2014, this project was initiated as most of the major equipment at CAP was near end-of-life and needed immediate replacement. Particularly, the 60kV bulk-oil and 12kV air-blast circuit breakers were obsolete and posed safety, reliability and environmental risks. Also, throughout the years, there has been a significant customer distribution demand for a 12kV to 25kV feeder voltage conversions. The main purpose of this project was to respond to these customer needs by dismantling the existing end-of-life facilities and replacing them with a new substation, while addressing the existing safety, reliability, seismic and environmental issues.

Wood designed and constructed the new substation including a multi-story industrial building housing two 60kV / 25kV, 75MVA transformers, a high voltage (60kV) Gas Insulated Switchgear, a medium voltage (25kV) switchgear, control room, mechanical room and other amenities. Wood’s design increased the substation firm’s capacity from 56.5MVA to 100MVA to meet future area load forecast for the next 30 years and converted the existing 12kV switchyard to 25kV to facilitate the execution of other projects in the North Shore area. Wood also designed and installed an 8km overhead fiber transmission line to connect CAP to Lynn Valley substation and completed associated telecommunication work at Glenmore and Walters substations.

CAP is located on a BC Hydro-owned land within the consultative boundaries of nine First Nations and tribal organizations and is surrounded by municipal parks on all four sides. The project engaged multiple stakeholders and obtained several permits, agreements and authorizations before construction from Environmental, Archaeological, Municipal and Provincial authorities.

In 2015, the project team assessed four different conceptual alternatives including doing nothing, deferring the project, building a substation on a new property, and rebuilding the substation within the existing property. To address safety, seismic, environmental and reliability risks, the project team agreed that rebuilding the substation on the existing land is the preferred alternative due to complex stakeholder, First Nations (FN) and environmental issues involved with replacing the substation at an alternate location.

In 2017, Wood confirmed the feasibility and started the detailed design and procurement of long lead items under the Design-Bid-Build delivery model. Wood faced the challenge of accommodating all equipment within the 0.5-acre land while blending the construction into the aesthetics of the area. Due to the small site, a conventional outdoor air insulated substation couldn’t be accommodated, as a result, Wood proposed an indoor type. Also, Wood developed a complicated construction staging to overcome the challenge of maintaining the existing substation during construction to supply the existing 12kV load to the customers before completing the conversion to 25kV.

Throughout the project, the team has continuously engaged with the District of North Vancouver and consulted with the FN by sharing information and providing substantial indigenous procurement opportunities. In 2020, construction started, and Wood was present at site to support contractors.

The project was put in service on 23 May 2024 on time and on budget without major safety or environmental incidents. It successfully achieved all the objectives for which it was initiated and is now providing a reliable source of 25 kV power to customers. It also delivered benefits to local Indigenous communities by investing in crucial infrastructure for their cultural practices and offered them substantial procurement opportunities to support Relationship Agreements and advance reconciliation.