Kitimat transmission line upgrade may see Rio’s aluminium smelter operations getting affected

Power transmission system of Kitmat is undergoing a massive upgrade. BC Hydro has been roped in to replace the transmission lines (between Terrace and Kitimat) that has reached end of life. The new transmission will ensure undisrupted flow of electricity between the two regions. Nevertheless, Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth is known to be a bit wary of the overhaul project, as he thinks that operations at Rio Tinto's aluminium smelter which runs in with the power supplied by the Kemano Hydro Electric plant might get affected due to this in the long run.

"BC Hydro likes to call it the Terrace to Kitimat Transmission Line, but really if you're talking about the way the energy does flow and always has flowed, it's really the Kitimat to Terrace line." said Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth.

The Kemano Hydro Electric plant after powering Rio Tinto Aluminium Smelter in Kitimat sells the excess electricity to BC Hydro for a profit. Germuth worries, if capacity in the lines is increased, chances could be there that Kemano Hydro decides to sell all the power it generates at its plant to BC Hydro instead of supplying it to the not-so-profitable aluminium business. The smelter being an economic cornerstone in the region, its closure would then destabilize the local economy.

"It's been mentioned in the news a few times that they were looking to possibly divest themselves of the aluminium business." notes Germuth. "So if somebody else were to buy it, where's the guarantee that the smelter will keep running at production instead of somebody else deciding lets just shut the smelter down."

The future, as of now, is pretty unclear. Rio is free to decide on using or selling its electricity as it considers fit for the situation. With the new transmission line installation due in 2019, workers at the aluminium smelter are already beginning to fear their jobs and future.