BC Hydro names preferred bidder for major Canadian dam project

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Canadian utility BC Hydro said on Wednesday it has chosen a consortium including Petrowest Corp, Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc and Samsung C&T Canada as the preferred bidder for the main civil works contract on its Site C dam project. The 8-year contract for building an earthfill dam, two tunnels and a foundation for the generating station at the proposed hydroelectric dam in British Columbia is expected to be worth more than C$1.5 billion ($1.13 billion), BC Hydro said. It is expected to be awarded by early 2016. British Columbia said last December it will go ahead with building Site C at a cost of C$8.8 billion. The project has been controversial because of its cost, as well as because it will flood farmland, wildlife habitat and local heritage sites. The Western Canadian province argues that it is needed to provide clean and reliable electricity for a growing population. Acciona Infrastructure Canada Inc is the Canadian unit of Spanish company Acciona S.A, while Samsung C&T Canada is the local arm of South Korea's Samsung C&T Corp. (Reporting by Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Dan Grebler)