2024: A Year of Firsts on the Woodfibre LNG Project

Construction on the Woodfibre LNG Project has now been underway for over a year! Since contractor mobilization began on November 3, 2023, significant progress has been made on laying the groundwork for the world’s first net zero LNG export facility.

Last winter, site preparation was underway – including tree clearing, grubbing and grading – to clear the path for foundation work to begin, as well as shoreline work in preparation for construction of future marine facilities. Marine piling work was also undertaken to support the mooring structure for the floatel.

After a busy winter season, the site was ready for the arrival of the floatel – which was moored at site in late June – ensuring high quality accommodation for approximately 650 non-local workers throughout the construction phase of the Project.

This past summer the Project hit two major milestones – the pouring of the first concrete foundations, as well as the commencement of marine piling work for the marine offloading facility and the export terminal and floating storage tanks. In-water work began with the opening of the marine work window on August 16 and is continuing through to January 31, 2025 when the window closes.

As of November 19, more than 110 piles to support the Marine Offloading Facility have been completed and significant progress has been made on concrete foundations in anticipation of module arrivals in 2025.

In May, Woodfibre LNG received approval for its Gender and Cultural Safety Management Plan – the first of its kind in the Canadian resource industry. Much of the credit for this achievement lies with the Gender Safety Advisory Committee, a group made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women from the community of Squamish who provide direct and ongoing input on gender safety and related programming, policies and procedures to company management. The committee member’s bravery, willingness to tell their personal and family stories, and commitment to forging new norms and standards for gender safety and Indigenous economic participation on industrial projects is creating change locally and across the country.

The company also took important steps in ensuring local Indigenous people form a key part of the future workforce of the Woodfibre LNG facility, launching its Operator Training Program in the spring.  Delivered in collaboration with the Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw) Training and Trades Centre and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), the program is fully funded by Woodfibre LNG and participants receive an ongoing training allowance, helping to reduce the financial pressures of a two-year educational program. Upon completion of the program, participants will have earned their 4^th Class Power Engineering Certificate and will be offered a full-time role with Woodfibre LNG. Students are currently working on the Power Engineering phase of the program at BCIT. The achievements of the past year have set a solid foundation for the Project and the company looks forward to realizing many more firsts in the year ahead.