The Pacific Northwest LNG project has entered its environmental assessment phase, and people are being encouraged to voice their opinions or concerns on the project.
"This is an important step of a rigorous review that has to be done in order to get approval," said Pacific Northwest LNG spokesperson Greg Kist.
"It's important to start the process early and get as much input and involvement as early as we can in the process."
Progress Energy Canada Ltd. is hoping to build and operate a liquefied natural gas facility on Lelu Island with lands and waters under the Prince Rupert Port Authority's jurisdiction. The project will also need portions of Stapledon Island for private road and bridge access to the island, and a small parcel of private land on the mainland where the proposed road would connect to the provincial highway.
Components necessary for the pipeline and dock to transport liquefied natural gas include a 2.7 kilometre long conventional trestle with a control room, loading and off-loading equipment, cryogenic piping and other supporting infrastructure. Also needed would be two LNG carrier berths, a LPG storage tank and import berth for LPG and other materials, and bunker file storage and loading equipment.
When completed, the facility would receive approximately three billion cubic feet per day of pipeline grade natural gas and would produce up to 18 million tonnes per annum of LNG. Because the facility is expected to operate year-round, the daily processing capacity is about 49,315 tonnes per day.
In the first phase of the project an estimated one LNG carrier would be berthed at the terminal every two days, increasing to one a day at full build out. The largest vessel the terminal would be designed to accommodate would be 315 metres in length, 50 metres wide and 12 metres draught.
As part of the first phase of the regulatory process, the Project Description is made available for public comments.
"Effectively anyone who would like to participate in the process or has questions about it can provide comments back on the project description," said Kist.
Pacific Northwest LNG is expected to cost between $9 and $11 billion to establish, and will require an estimated 3,500 construction workers at the peak of development. Once the project is in the operational phase, it's estimated to employ 200 and 300 people over its estimated 30 years of operation while creating indirect jobs as well.
Comments on the project must be received by March 11 and can be e-mailed to GNLPacificNorthwestLNG@ceaa-acee.gc.ca. The full project description can be found online at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca registry reference number 80032.