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Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Canadian regulator says Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project has started
June 5 (Reuters) - British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office has determined that work on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission natural gas pipeline project has been substantially started, the provincial government said on Thursday. The decision means a 2014 environmental assessment certificate for the project will remain in effect indefinitely, unless suspended or cancelled under the Environmental Assessment Act, the B.C. government said in a press release. The 900-kilometre PRGT project will run from Hudson's Hope in northeastern B.C. to Lelu Island near Prince Rupert on Canada's Pacific Coast. It was acquired from TC Energy ( opens new tab by the Nisga'a First Nation and the Western LNG in March 2024 to supply natural gas to the proposed 12 million tonneS per annum Ksi Lisims liquefied natural facility. The 2014 environmental assessment certificate required that the project show substantial progress by November 25, 2024. The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office launched a review process late last year to examine whether work had started, considering site inspections, documentation from PRGT and input from local First Nations. The government statement said compliance and enforcement officers will continue to monitor the PRGT project throughout construction and operation to ensure it meets all environmental requirements.
The Province
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Province
Is LNG in B.C. falling behind? Here's the status of five major projects
The Nisga'a First Nation backed Ksi Lisims LNG proposal awaits a key decision for its pipeline, but four other B.C. plants are in process If the Ksi Lisims goes ahead, it would become the fifth LNG plant boosting B.C.'s production of the supercooled fuel from a trickle today to more than 30 million tonnes a year for export within a decade. Photo by Nisga'a Lisims Government The Ksi Lisims LNG project, which is backed by the Nisga'a First Nation, requires a key decision by environmental regulators before it can proceed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Ksi Lisims, which this month signed an agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies SE to buy some of the liquefied natural gas from the project, needs a re-approval from the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office for the pipeline that would serve its plant. Ksi Lisims, with partner Western LNG, applied in November for a ruling from the assessment office that initial work undertaken on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line was enough to satisfy a requirement for 'substantial start' of construction by late last year. No one from the environmental assessment office was made available for an interview, but an email in response to Postmedia questions said the office expects to make its decision this spring. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line, under then-owner Calgary-based TC Energy, received environmental approval for the proposed 780-kilometre, 1.2-metre diameter pipeline in 2014. The pipeline was later bought by the Nisga'a and Western LNG. A five-year permit extension granted in 2019 required a substantial start of construction before November 2024 or it would expire. A recent assessment office email said the determination is an administrative decision and the necessary time is being taken to review all relevant information needed to decide whether work clearing work the right of way constitutes a substantial start. Ksi Lisims is supported by the Nisga'a Nation, which views the project as a cornerstone of its economic development. But it is opposed by other First Nations, including the Gitanyow Nation whose territory the pipeline would cross on 50 kilometres of its route, and a consortium of environmental groups. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The email from the assessment office said the decision will be based on information provided by the pipeline's partners and First Nations and consultation with those nations 'throughout this process.' In the meantime, other B.C. LNG projects, with the potential to export about 34 million tonnes of natural gas annually, are proceeding at varying stages of construction. LNG Canada The most advanced is LNG Canada in Kitimat. It received a shipment of imported liquefied natural gas in April to use in testing equipment during its commissioning process. It expects to be producing its first gas for export within a few months. Construction on the $18-billion LNG Canada plant, a joint venture of Shell Canada, Malaysian state-owned Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corp. and Korean Gas Corp. started in 2019, along with its associated $14.5-billion Coastal GasLink pipeline, which is owned by TC Energy. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At its outset, LNG Canada's two initial production units, referred to as 'trains' in the industry, will have the capacity to produce up to 14 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year. Partners in the consortium are considering a Phase 2 of the project to expand its capacity to 26 million tonnes of LNG a year. That Phase 2 expansion has political support in B.C. with Premier David Eby including the project on the list of major resource projects the projects is willing to 'fast track' to shore up the economy during the uncertainty of Canada-U.S. trade tensions. Woodfibre LNG Woodfibre LNG, a subsidiary of Singapore-headquartered Pacific Energy Corp. received environmental approval for the its $5.1 billion LNG proposal in 2015 and kicked off major construction in 2023 with an expected completion date of 2027, according to Woodfibre. It is expected to have the capacity to produce up to 2.1 million tonnes of LNG a year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The project consists of the Woodfibre LNG plant, seven kilometres south of Squamish on the west side of Howe Sound on the former site of the Woodfibre pulp mill, and the Eagle Mountain pipeline, a 50 kilometre extension of FortisBC's pipeline network from Coquitlam. Woodfibre submitted an application in May seeking permission to moor an additional cruise-ship 'floatel' as accommodations for 900 workers alongside its initial 'floatel,' the MV Isabelle X, which houses 650 construction workers, to speed up progress. Cedar LNG Cedar LNG, majority owned by the Haisla First Nation, is a joint venture with Calgary-headquartered Pembina Pipeline Corp. The proposal, in 2023, received environmental approval to build a floating LNG production facility on the Douglas Channel south of LNG Canada's project. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Cedar LNG joint venture made its final investment decision for the US$4 billion construction of the facility. Contractors Black & Veatch and Samsung Heavy Industries will build the plant's floating platform at shipyards in South Korea and transport it to the site, with an expected completion date in 2028. Once in commission, the plant will have the capacity to produce up to 3.3 million tonnes of LNG a year. Tilbury LNG FortisBC's original Tilbury LNG plant in Delta was opened in 1971 to produce LNG to be stored for times of peak demand in its domestic system. In 2018, a Phase 1 expansion increased its capacity to 250,000 tonnes of LNG a year to meet increasing domestic demand for use of gas as transportation fuel in trucking and in shipping. A Phase 2 projects remains under review by the environmental assessment office. Construction would start in 2026, expanding production to 2.5 million tonnes of LNG a year to supply domestic demand, but also open the potential for exports. depenner@ Read More News Crime Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News
