Future Operations
Preparing for Safe & Responsible Operations
Woodfibre LNG is designed to operate safely and responsibly — with robust systems, operating procedures, environmental monitoring and regulatory oversight in place from commissioning through steady-state operations.
Our Facility
Woodfibre LNG is a liquefied natural gas export facility being built at the former Woodfibre pulp mill site on the west side of Átl’ḵa7tsem (Howe Sound), approximately seven kilometres southwest of Squamish. The facility will receive natural gas, treat and cool it to approximately -162°C to create LNG, store it in floating storage tanks and load it onto LNG carriers for export.
Safe operation is built into every stage of the facility, from gas pre-treatment and liquefaction through storage and marine loading. That includes multiple layers of safety and emergency systems, as well as operational practices, like flaring, designed to effectively manage gas and address abnormal conditions safely when they occur.
Commissioning & Safe Startup
Commissioning is the period when an LNG facility’s equipment and systems are brought online, tested and adjusted before operations begin. As natural gas is introduced to different parts of the facility for testing, there are more situations where gas needs to be safely directed to the flare, so flaring is expected to be more frequent and last longer than it will during normal operations.
Woodfibre LNG expects commissioning to take approximately six to eight months.
Flaring
Supporting Safe Operations
Flaring is an important safety function at LNG facilities that safely manages excess natural gas in a controlled way during certain operating conditions, including commissioning, startup, shutdown, maintenance and unplanned events.
Woodfibre LNG is designed with multiple controls to keep flaring to the minimum needed for safe operations. When flaring is required, facility design, established operating procedures, environmental monitoring and regulatory oversight work together to help protect workers, communities and the surrounding environment.
