Aishihik Hydro Facility
The Aishihik Hydro Facility, located about 110 kilometres northwest of Whitehorse, has provided renewable electricity to Yukoners since 1975. It was built to serve the growing electrical demands of Yukoners and of a large lead-zinc mine at Faro in Central Yukon. The original plant included two hydro units that could each produce up to 15 megawatts of renewable power. In 2011, a seven-megawatt hydro generator was added.
The Aishihik facility is located a remarkable 110 metres underground. It is the first underground power plant north of the 60th parallel in the western world.
The original plant included two hydro units that could each produce up to 15 megawatts of renewable power. In 2011, a seven-megawatt hydro generator was added.
Aishihik annually produces about 25 percent of the total energy generated by Yukon Energy.
The Aishihik Hydro Facility is extremely important to Yukon Energy’s operations, as it is the only hydro facility in the Yukon that can store energy over multiple years to increase renewable energy generation in low water years. Although the 40-megawatt Whitehorse Rapids Hydro Facility is larger than Aishihik, the effective capacity of the Whitehorse plant is reduced by close to half during the coldest months of the year because of reduced water flow on the Yukon River.