Canadian firm seeks environmental permit for LNG plant expansion

Canadian natural gas and energy utility FortisBC has filed an environmental assessment (EA) application with the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (BC EAO) for the proposed expansion of its existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Canada’s Tilbury Island.

Following the EA application for the Tilbury Phase 2 LNG expansion project, the EAO now plans to engage with Indigenous peoples, experts, and the public during a 180-day review period. The objective is to assess whether the application contains sufficient information to evaluate the project’s potential impacts. 

The expansion of the existing Tilbury LNG facility entails building and operating a new LNG storage tank with a working volume of up to 142,400 cubic meters – which would increase Tilbury’s current storage capacity around 2.5 times, new liquefaction facilities with a capacity of up to 7,700 tonnes per day of LNG production, or 2.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), natural gas receiving facilities and supporting infrastructure.

In operation since 1971, the existing plant is said to play a key role in the gas system of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland by producing and storing LNG for use during peak demand periods, such as cold days during the winter. The additional liquefaction capacity is expected to serve emerging markets for LNG as a lower-carbon fuel, such as marine fueling.

“The proposed expansion of our Tilbury LNG facility is essential to help improve the resilience of our gas system, and to help ensure that we can continue to provide customers with gas at times of peak demand—as well as in emergency situations,” said FortisBC.

The Canadian player claims the LNG produced at Tilbury is already among the lowest carbon intensity in the world, and it has committed to making the project net zero by 2030. If approved, the construction is scheduled to start in 2026.

The previous expansion stage was commissioned in 2018 and is envisaged to be completed in 2028. Phase 1A added a 46,000 cubic meter storage tank and LNG liquefaction capacity of 0.25 mtpa, while Phase 1B is intended to serve the demand for LNG as a marine fuel by increasing LNG liquefaction capacity by up to 0.65 mtpa.

A few months ago, FortisBC received an environmental assessment certificate for a nearby project – the Tilbury Marine Jetty (TMJ) – it is developing with Seaspan Energy, followed by the government’s authorization for it to proceed. The project entails the construction of a jetty on the south arm of the Fraser River, which will enable LNG bunkering vessels to refuel at the Port of Vancouver.