The Travers Solar Substation project was a part of the larger Travers Solar project. Bringing Canada’s largest utility-scale solar facility to life was a collaborative effort between three PCL divisions. While the Solar and Calgary divisions constructed the 692-megawatt direct current (MWdc) solar installation, the Industrial division built the 240-kilovolt (kV) substation that connects the facility to Alberta’s transmission grid, delivering enough clean energy to power more than 150,000 homes each year.

PCL Industrial's scope of work on the substation included engineering, procurement, construction and site acceptance testing related to the start-up of electrical equipment. This also included civil and structural engineering works for the substation and the construction of the E-house at our Fabrication Facility in Nisku, Alberta.

The project began in the summer of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Read more about the project team's challenges during the pandemic and how they overcame them here.

One notable example involved the installation of cable trenches. Traditionally, underground conduits are laid to allow work to continue while the protection and control (P&C) design is finalized. P&C cables can then be pulled in the conduit after the design is finalized and the cables are procured. However, this method adds cost, extends the schedule, and requires extensive work in trenches.

The Travers substation team approached the challenge differently. Instead of installing conduits in trenches, they used armored cables and directly buried them above the ground grid without underground conduits. This innovative solution optimized the construction sequence, allowed fieldwork to continue while finalizing the P&C design, and significantly reduced safety risks for workers.

Collaboration was the theme throughout the project. By leveraging the expertise of multiple divisions, PCL delivered Canada’s largest operating solar facility on time and within budget — a testament to what can be achieved when teams work together.