No Results
Once the EPC has been selected, how will Woodfibre LNG assure that all components, materials and structures will be sourced locally in British Columbia? How is Woodfibre LNG assuring that businesses that register through the directory are BC based only?
Hi Michael, Thanks for your question – it’s really important to know what we’re doing locally so thanks for raising ... this. We announced our Engineering Procurement Fabrication Construction contract with McDermott International at the end of November 2021. This contract commits McDermott to Woodfibre LNG’s hiring priority for qualified Squamish Nation members and local workers first, followed by British Columbians and then Canadians. Unfortunately, Canada does not currently have the facilities to make all of the components we’ll need. In particular, large complex LNG modules cannot currently be manufactured in Canada. Although those complex modules can only be built overseas, we plan to procure many other steelmaking products domestically. In fact, we expect approximately 15,000 tonnes of steel to be required for the stick build of our facility. The joint priority is to create a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace that brings benefits to the project’s Indigenous partners and community. Our business directory application is here and we regularly check this. https://woodfibrelng.ca/careers/business-directory/Asked by Michael, Squamish
Hi there! I’m a local 1907 carpenter. I live in both Whistler and Squamish. Have been working on the LNG project in Kitimat for the past few months here and have been living in sea to sky for 12 years now. I’ve heard of this job and would love to assist in the build as soon as possible. Just wondering about your rate of pay, work hours, and a few other job specified questions. If there is someone who could contact me in regards to all this that would be amazing.
Hi Kris, Thanks for your question. As opportunities become available with the Woodfibre LNG project, they're posted on our Careers page. ... If there isn't a job opening that matches your skill set, but you have experience that could help us deliver the project, send your resume to us at careers@wlng.ca. You can also sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about new positions. The sign up form is here: woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informedAsked by Kris Murdock, Squamish
Are the construction materials being unloaded on July 27 at Squamish Terminals for the proposed Woodfibre LNG project?
No – that equipment is not destined for our site. To get the latest project updates please sign up ... to our newsletter: woodfibrelng.ca/stayinformedAsked by , Bowen Island
How safe will Howe Sound be?
You asked, we answered! In this episode of Ask WLNG, Cristian Ruilova, our FSO Project Manager, explains what Woodfibre ... LNG is doing to keep Howe Sound safe. (Part two). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKckuAcnR6sAsked by , Bowen Island
What will Woodfibre LNG do to keep Howe Sound safe?
You asked, we answered! In this episode of Ask WLNG, Cristian Ruilova, our FSO Project Manager, explains what Woodfibre ... LNG is doing to keep Howe Sound safe. (Part one) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ymvpiFECjg&t=47sAsked by , Bowen Island
What is Woodfibre LNG doing to keep our workforce safe during the COVID-19 pandemic?
During this challenging time, Woodfibre LNG’s focus is on supporting our employees and the local communities in which we ... operate. Our Facilities Manager Dennis Smith explains what we're doing to protect our workforce during the pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7tA8lUR4NcAsked by Diana B, Squamish
How do you become a preferred metal fabricator for the project
Hi Brent, Thanks for your question and for your interest in Woodfibre LNG. We are always eager to hear from ... potential contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The first step towards working with us is to join our business directory. You can do so on our website: https://woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-woodfibre/business-directory/ If you have any problems, please feel free to contact our team at this email. Thanks again for your interest.Asked by Brent Snelgrove, Squamish
Does Woodfibre LNG trade on the stockmarket?
Hi Paul, Thanks for your question. We're not publicly traded. The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG ... Limited, a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver with a Community Office in Squamish. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies. You can find out more about our parents companies on the Pacific Oil & Gas website and the RGE website.Asked by Paul, Bowen Island
How does Woodfibre LNG support global emissions reduction?
You asked, we answered! Our Head of Engineering Andrew Brown explains how the Woodfibre LNG project will work to ... drive down global emissions. Andrew is an energy industry veteran, has worked on projects all around the world, and has a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VWhHok93tQAsked by , Bowen Island
Are Floating Storage Tanks safe? Are they safer compared to land-based?
You asked, and we answered! In this episode of Ask WLNG Cristian Ruilova, our FSO Project Manager, explained why ... floating storage is a superior option for the Woodfibre LNG project. https://youtu.be/UhXR-ZKE5JcAsked by , Bowen Island
Why did Woodfibre LNG choose floating storage tanks instead of land-based options?
You asked, and we answered! In this episode of Ask WLNG Cristian Ruilova, our FSO Project Manager, sat ... down and explained why floating storage is a superior option for the Woodfibre LNG project. https://youtu.be/6yI_2GK0LsMAsked by , Bowen Island
How does this project align with Squamish being the outdoor capital of Canada and Squamish’s goal of encouraging economic prosperity based on ecotourism. What is the visual impact of the wood fibre project look like on the skyline and how will the tanker traffic look on the Sound and affect tourism like SUPping, fishing, boating etc?
Hi Lorena, Thanks for your question. We have released some draft illustrations of what the site will look like, you ... can see one here: https://woodfibrelng.ca/about-lng/ Regarding outdoor boating activities, we believe that Squamish is Canada’s outdoor recreation capital and we intend to help keep it that way. LNG carriers will travel at very low speeds through Howe Sound – about eight to 10 knots –ensuring they don’t create a large wake and that they can safely share the waters with recreational boaters. The LNG vessels will come in and out of the Sound on established shipping lanes about once every 10 days – fewer than already come and go from Squamish Terminals. Woodfibre will also post a schedule of what days the carriers are expected, so boaters can know exactly what to expect. The vessels will also be escorted in the Sound by at least two tugboats, which will help to spot small boats and will enhance the safety of the vessel and other users of the waters along the route, as well as ensure safe passage at all times during the transit. Each LNG carrier will also be guided to and from Woodfibre by two BC Coast Pilots, who are intimately familiar with Howe Sound and who know our waters the best. For more information and to get the latest project updates, please sign up for our newsletter: https://woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informed/Asked by Lorena, Squamish
Considering that the two ships that will be sitting in Howe Sound are 300 metres in length, plus the additional one coming in every 10 days or so. How will this effect the water sports recreation in Howe Sound? The reason I ask is that we sponsor a paddle race in Howe Sound every July with 200 or more Stand up paddle boarders and Outrigger canoes(OC1, 2’s) from all over the world. The race starts in Porteau Cove and finishes in Squamish, will it be safe?Thank you
Hi Linda, Thanks for your question. LNG carriers traveling to and from the Woodfibre site will travel at very low ... speeds through Howe Sound – about eight to 10 knots –ensuring they don’t create a large wake and that they can safely share the waters with recreational boaters. The LNG vessels will come in and out of the Sound on established shipping lanes about once every 10 days – fewer than already come and go from Squamish Terminals. We will post a schedule of what days the carriers are expected, so we can all safely share the waters, reduce interaction with other users and avoid disruptions of events in the area. For more information and to get the latest project updates, please sign up for our newsletter: https://woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informed/Asked by Linda, Squamish
Hello Any changes to the EPC? Is it still JGC? Thank you Ed
Hi Ed, Thanks for your question. We are in the final stages of contract negotiations with our construction proponents McDermott ... International. We’re thrilled to be working with this exceptional company. For more information and to get the latest project updates, please sign up for our newsletter: https://woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informed/Asked by ed, British Columbia
Has a General Contractor been awarded for the construction of the project? If not, when are you expecting to announce the award?
Hi Derrick, Thanks for reaching out. We are currently in negotiations to finalize our construction contract. These discussions are at ... a very advanced stage, and we hope to have an official update soon. For all project updates, please sign to our newsletter: woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informed/Asked by Mega Cranes, Bowen Island
What is the status of the Woodfibre LNG project right now?
Hi Mia, Thanks for your question. Project construction is expected to begin in Q3 2021. In March this year, we sent ... a letter to the BC Environmental Assessment Office requesting a one-time extension to our five year Environmental Assessment Certificate. This was due to factors out of our control such as effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and issues with our preferred EPC contractor – unrelated to our project. As we work towards start of construction, we are continuing to work with our Indigenous and commercial partners to meet all of our pre-construction commitments.Asked by Mia, British Columbia
Hi! Who should we contact if we want to know real-time updates about Woodfibre LNG project?
Hi Mia, thanks for your question! You can sign up to our newsletter and be the first to get ... updated information on our project, jobs, and how we’re making progress possible. Sign up here: woodfibrelng.ca/contact-us/stay-informed/Asked by Mia K, British Columbia
I saw a response from 2017 saying Woodfibre LNG is working on a recreation plan for public who want to access the site via ferry. I am interested in taking the ferry to hike up to Henrietta lake. Just wondering if there has been any progress on this in the passed two years.
Hi Joanna Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, there seems to be a misconception that a passenger ferry exists or will ... exist in the future. This is not the case. For safety reasons, we are not able to offer transportation to site for members of the public. Public access to the backcountry beyond our site for cultural purposes is being carefully considered at this time. We will be outlining access availability in an Access Management Plan as required under our Environmental Certificate. This plan will be sent to the B.C. government before we start construction, and so we’ll have a more complete update for you once that process has finished. Thanks Woodfibre TeamAsked by Joanna, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Will there be a need for DataCom products for this project. Fiber or copper cabling, Patch panels, Cabinets, Racks, Patch cords, jacks, patch panels, or is it mostly all electrical products needed?
Hi Sergio, Thanks for your question. We will know more about the specific requirements once the EPC contractor is selected - ... we are currently in negotiations to finalize this. If you are a business owner, you might be interested in registering with our Business Directory that will be shared with our chosen contractor. We hope this helps. Kind Regards Woodfibre Project TeamAsked by Sergio, Other
Please tell me as an Electrical Disributor in BC who is the best person or persons to talk to about providing Electrical or Process goods to the Woodfibre project?
Hi Mike, Thanks for your question. We have a Business Directory that will be shared with our chosen contractor. You can ... register, here. Thanks Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Mike, British Columbia
Could you please provide an update: 1) Has the EPC contract with KBR Inc. been finalized? 2) Anticipated construction start timelines?
Hi Mona, Thanks for your question. We are currently in negotiations to finalize the EPC contractor. Once the contract is ... awarded, we plan to provide an update on our project schedule. Thanks Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Mona, Canada
When will the main construction contract be awarded?
Hi Andrew, Thanks for your question. The Woodfibre LNG Project will be constructed by an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) ... contractor and we are currently in negotiations. Once the EPC contract is awarded, we plan to provide an update on our project schedule, which is expected in the next few months. Thanks Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Andrew, British Columbia
Do you have an updated project timeline available?
Hi Stephen, Thanks for your question. We plan to provide an update on our project schedule once we award an ... Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract, which is expected in the next few months. Right now, our focus is on cleaning up the former pulp mill site and you can learn more about that here. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Stephen, Other
I’m a BCIT (red seal apprentice metal fabricator)grad and Status First Nations local to Squamish now and looking to Join LNG. Could you direct me to who to get in contact with?
Hi Anson, As opportunities become available with the Woodfibre LNG Project, they’re posted on our Careers page. If there isn’t ... a job opening that matches your skill set, but you have experience that could help us deliver the project, send your resume to careers@wlng.ca. Good luck, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Anson, Squamish
I am writing to ask about the status of your TERMPOL review with Transport Canada. You responded to my previous question with this answer, “Currently, we expect the TERMPOL review process to be completed in the Fall of 2018.” Can you update us on the status of this review and when it will be completed?
Hi Ruth, Thank you for the question. Our TERMPOL submission is still expected to be complete following the award of an ... EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract to ensure our TERMPOL application is up-to-date. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Ruth Simons, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Can you provide a copy of the Squamish Nation’s Environmental Assessment Agreement and Environmental Certificate? The link provided elsewhere on the website is no longer operational.
Hi Levi,Thank you for the question. Here is how the Squamish Nation describes the agreement and conditions: Woodfibre LNG Agreement ... & Environmental Certificate Conditions The Agreement is a conditional approval of the LNG plant based on WLNG (Woodfibre LNG) meeting all 13 conditions by the Squamish Nation. If WLNG fails to meet even one condition the SN can revoke our agreement It provides legal strength for the Nation to hold WLNG to the Agreement. It legally binds WLNG to meet all conditions Forces WLNG to conduct further independent studies on current and alternate cooling techniques a. The Squamish Nation (SN) will have the final say on which technology gets picked. (Squamish Nation consent). b. If WLNG doesn’t comply with SN decision the Nation can take Legal ActionWLNG is bound to create a Green Zone in and around Mill Creek and develop a long term plan to re-mediate and restore Mill Creek. a. They also have to recognize that the project is located on former village of Swiyat.WLNG must develop a Water Management Plan for Mill Creek to ensure adequate water levels for aquatic life and salmon a. SN will need to provide approvals for Water Management Plan.WLNG will provide funding to SN to develop a SN Marine Use Plan to analyze the cumulative impacts of Industrial projects in the Howe SoundWLNG will provide controlled and safe access to SN members to the surrounding area to practice Aboriginal Rights.WLNG must develop an Environmental Management Program with SN, which gives the Nation authority and approval mechanisms on Environmental Management Plans.WLNG will provide insurance coverage or Bond to protect ALL SN members to address personal loss or injury due to project.WLNG cannot expand the project without Squamish Nation approval.WLNG cannot allow transfer of any bunker fuel to LNG tankers anywhere in our waters.WLNG will conduct noise monitoring studies on marine mammals that includes mitigation measures and monitoring programs to address impacts on mammals.WLNG agrees to use only for LNG purposes, there will be no oil or diluted bitumen transported through projectWLNG and SN will develop co-management and monitoring plans to ensure all plans and mitigation measures are adhered to.The agreement is conditional on WLNG and SN coming to an Impact Benefit Agreement. Both Squamish Nation and WLNG will develop an Environmental Working Group to ensure the Agreement and all work/plans are implemented. The Agreement also creates a Dispute Resolution process along with legal remedies if conditions are not met.Asked by Levi, British Columbia
Do you have a vendors list?
Hi Sandra, Thank you for the question. We have a Business Directory that is shared with our Pre-Notice to Proceed contractor ... KBR, Inc. You can register, here. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Sandra, Bowen Island
When will they need scaffolding for the new construction phase? I’m a local who was raised here but work in Fort Mac scaffolding so this might be a good opportunity to be home every night after work for once.
Hi DJ, We haven't yet awarded an EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract. We currently expect to do that in ... mid-2018. KBR was selected to carryout Pre-NTP services for the Woodfibre LNG Project in December 2017. More information is available here . If you haven’t done so already, please ensure you / your company is registered with our Business Directory. The information in the directory is shared with KBR and our Project team. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by DJ, Canada
I am checking in on the status of the Termpol Review. The response you provided previously was the application had been submitted to Transport Canada late December 2015 and once completed would be published on Transport Canada’s website. I cannot find the report if it has in fact been completed. I am wondering what is the status?
Thank you for the question Ruth. Currently, we expect the TERMPOL review process to be completed in the Fall of ... 2018. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Ruth Simons, Future of Howe Sound, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
What is the provincial government’s view and opinion on this project? (Are they supportive?etc…)
Hi Danika, Thank you for the question. We’re not 100% comfortable speaking on behalf of the provincial government, but we can ... share with you the following: In November 2016, BC NDP leader John Horgan (then the leader of the official opposition) had this to say about the Woodfibre LNG Project: “…the proponents have respectfully engaged with First Nations, will provide job training and good, family-supporting jobs to local people, and will proceed in a way that minimizes climate changing emissions at the plant. B.C.’s New Democrats are supportive of Woodfibre LNG and the jobs and economic activity it will bring to our province.” We are currently working with government to address some competitiveness issues. One example is a new tariff (May 2017) on importing Fabricated Industrial Steel Components (FISC) that has cross industry impacts in Canada. It’s meant to help protect Canada’s steel industry from foreign competitors, but in this case the Canadian steel industry is unable to manufacture to the scale of the modules required for LNG facilities. In addition, Premier Horgan is heading off on a trade mission to Asia later this month, which includes promotion of a BC liquefied natural gas industry. Thanks again for submitting the question. Warm regards, The Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by DBoucher, Whistler & Pemberton
With the recent announcement of the EPC contract being awarded, will Woodfibre LNG assist subcontractors to connect with the organization through information sessions or other referral methods? Is Registering through the website the only means of communication?
Hi Jeff, Thank you for the question. We don’t currently have any plans to host a Business Information session. To clarify - ... we expect to award an EPC contract in mid-2018. KBR was selected to carryout Pre-NTP services for Woodfibre LNG Project in December 2017. More information is available here. If you haven’t done so already, please ensure your company is registered with our Business Directory. The information in the directory is shared with KBR and our Project team. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by Jeff, British Columbia
As a retired professional engineer with decades of experience in the natural gas industry, I know how important projects like Woodfibre LNG are to Canada’s prosperity, and I wish you well.
Thank you Mr. Schalke. Your support is much appreciated! December 2017Asked by Bernd Schalke, Canada
Regarding construction: – is it correct, that Woodfibre is pushing technologies, which increases productivity for construction? – is it correct, that there is only boat access to the construction site? – is it correct, that you try to hire as many local First Nation workers as possible? Due to a shortage of skilled labor in the construction industry in North America the three mentioned questions could be tricky. When it comes the reinforcement steel part of your project we suggest to consider our solution BAMTEC (www.bamtec.com). This saves around 70 % of installation time. Maybe you could connect me with project lead of Fluor. Thank you very much. Best regards, Miles Johnson Head of Business Development
Hi Miles, Thank you for the questions. The Woodfibre LNG Project is moving forward. We recently completed our competitive Front End Engineering ... Design (FEED) process and are continuing to work with KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) of Houston, TX. If you need a reminder on our competitive bid process – it was between KBR and JGC. Our media release from October 2016 is here. We are no longer working with JGC (and its subcontractor Fluor). As for what happens next: we are currently working through some technical aspects of the Project; continue to address permitting and other regulatory requirements, and, we will be working through the terms and conditions of an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. Our estimated construction period has been two to three years, and our site is indeed accessible by air and water only (no road access). As you likely know, projects of this scale have a lot of stages that impact overall schedule. We’ve been communicating that the timing of the completion of FEED and EPC contract award will impact the overall schedule (not to mention permitting and other authorizations), which is why we’ll update our project schedule closer to EPC contract award in 2018. As for potential job and contracting opportunities, please feel free to visit the Work With Us section of our web site. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG Team Date: November 20, 2017Asked by Miles Johnson, Other
With the change of government in BC, many projects have been either stopped or cancelled. How is this affecting the start up or awarding of the construction of this Plant? What is the date of the awarding? I have been working in Alberta for the past 4 years but i live in BC Kelowna. I am a materials technician and have worked with KBR on the Fort Hills Suncor facility. I would love to work in BC on a project like this. Regards, Lennon Paisley
Hi Lennon, Thank you for the questions. The Woodfibre LNG Project is moving forward. We recently completed our competitive Front End Engineering ... Design (FEED) process and are continuing to work with KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) of Houston, TX. If you need a reminder on our competitive bid process – it was between KBR and JGC. Our media release from October 2016 is here. We are no longer working with JGC (and its subcontractor Fluor). As for what happens next: we are currently working through some technical aspects of the Project; continue to address permitting and other regulatory requirements, and, we will be working through the terms and conditions of an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. In addition, we are working with government to address some competitiveness issues. One example is a new tariff (May 2017) on importing Fabricated Industrial Steel Components (FISC) that has cross industry impacts in Canada. It’s meant to help protect Canada’s steel industry from foreign competitors, but in this case the Canadian steel industry is unable to manufacture to the scale of the modules required for LNG facilities. Our estimated construction period has been two to three years. As you likely know, projects of this scale have a lot of stages that impact overall schedule. We’ve been communicating that the timing of the completion of FEED and EPC contract award will impact the overall schedule (not to mention permitting and other authorizations), which is why we’ll update our project schedule closer to EPC contract award in 2018. As for potential job opportunities, please feel free to visit the Work With Us section of our web site. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG Team Date: November 20, 2017Asked by Lennon Paisley, Canada
Has the EPC been chosen for Woodfibre yet?
Thank you for the question Claire. An EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) contractor has not yet been chosen as FEED ... (Front End Engineering and Design) is currently underway. You can learn more about the process here. Sincerely, The Woodfibre LNG Team Date: August 11, 2017Asked by Claire Mules, British Columbia
What is your response to the concerns regarding the proposed cooling system? “The once-through seawater cooling system proposed by Woodfibre LNG is unacceptable. They want to suck up 17,000 tonnes of seawater from Howe Sound every hour, chlorinate it, heat it, and then spit it back out into the sound. This method has been banned in California and several other places as it is very damaging to marine life such as juvenile salmon, herring, and plankton which are the building blocks for all other life in Howe Sound. They want to dump 17,000 tonnes of hot, chlorinated sea water every single hour which is equivalent to 7 Olympic-sized 50-meter swimming pools. This will likely reverse the recent revival of marine life in Howe Sound.”
Hi BAUM, Thank you for your question. As a result of our environmental agreement with Squamish Nation, the Woodfibre LNG Project ... will use air cooling - and not seawater cooling - to cool our liquefaction plant. The Squamish Nation selected air cooling in October 2016, and the BC Environmental Assessment Office approved of the change to the Woodfibre LNG Project on July 12, 2017. Sincerely, The Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by BAUM, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
The Darrell Bay Ferry provided free public ferry service across the Sound as there are outdoor recreation opportunities in the area beyond the Woodfibre site. I saw another response here that suggested the public would no longer be allowed on the ferry service to Woodfibre. Would Woodfibre LNG consider continuing the long-standing public access on the Darrell Bay ferry in order to continue to enjoy the recreation opportunities in the area surrounding the industrial site, such as the Mount Roderick Trail?
Hi Ian, Thank you for the question. We will develop an Access Management Plan to address safe backcountry access, in consultation ... with local stakeholders and the Squamish Nation. While our operational plans are still being fine-tuned through a parallel FEED process, unfortunately, we won't be able to offer staff transportation to the public. Warm regards, The Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by IanL, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How will is the LNG being stored? What type of vessel? How will the vessel be secured? When will installation begin?
Hi Craig, Thank you for your questions about LNG storage at the Woodfibre LNG facility. The Project will have a permanently moored ... LNG floating storage and offloading unit (FSO), with a capacity of between 170,000 and 250,000 m3. The FSO will be constructed using two LNG carriers, which will be redesigned and retrofitted for this purpose. There will also be a single marine mooring facility, which is currently undergoing detailed design as part of our parallel FEED (Front End Engineering Design) process. You can learn more about the FEED process currently underway by clicking here. Construction will begin, pending permitting, once FEED is complete and the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract has been awarded. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by DobieDaddy, Canada
What is the pipeline being constructed for? Is it to supply Woodfibre LNG, or to provide extra natural gas to supplement Vancouver Island LNG plants such as the one in Campbell River?
Thanks for this question. We have answered a similar question about our supply pipeline previously, so please take another ... look at this answer.Asked by Eric Houghton, Squamish
How will the tankers avoid a collision with B.C. Ferries?
Hi Elizabeth, Shipping related to the Woodfibre LNG Project will increase large vessel movement in Howe Sound by less than ... 1 per cent, which is very manageable in a waterway that has been shared by BC Ferries, commercial ships, fishing boats and recreational users for decades. For more information about how we’ll navigate this shared space safely, take a look at our answer to a similar question.Asked by Elizabeth, Sunshine Coast
Why is it called “Woodfibre LNG”?
Hi Keith, Thanks for the question. The “Woodfibre” in Woodfibre LNG comes from the name of the Woodfibre LNG Project site, ... which is located in the District of Squamish, British Columbia. The site was home to sawmill and then pulp mill operations beginning in the early 1900’s, and was originally known as Mill Creek, after the creek that runs through the middle of the project site. By the early 1920’s, Mill Creek was also home to a growing town, which included a post office. Because there was already a “Mill Creek” post office, the town needed a new name. A naming contest was held in 1921, and local resident Cathy Haar won a $50 prize with her submission of “Woodfibre”. The Woodfibre site is also in the traditional territory of the Squamish Nation. To learn more about the history of the Woodfibre site, visit our website.Asked by Keith McPherson, British Columbia
Who will carry out the LNG tank analysis and design? I would like to get in contact with them.
We're proposing to store LNG in a floating storage and offloading unit or 'FSO'. The FSO will be made up ... of two converted LNG carriers, which meet the highest safety standards and have been retrofitted for this specific purpose. If you haven’t done so already, please register in our Business Directory. We review our Business Directory as we require services, and share the contents with our Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) contractors on a regular basis so that they are aware of all the services available.Asked by LUSAS, Prefer to not disclose
Who has been awarded the electrical contract for this project?
Hi Riz, The electrical contractor for this project has not yet been decided. As of March 2017, we’re continuing to work ... through a parallel Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) process. Two firms, KBR Inc. and JGC America Inc., are reviewing our requirements and drafting detailed plans to build our facility. Once this process is complete, we’ll choose one of these companies to deliver our facility and we expect more procurement opportunities then. The best way to make sure you are considered for procurement opportunities, is to register in our Business Directory: www.woodfibrelng.ca/the-project/work-with-us/businesses. We check the Directory as opportunities arise, and share the information with KBR and JGC.Asked by Riz, British Columbia
Hi – could you tell me who is the designer of this project?
Hi John, The designer of the project has not yet been decided. As of March 2017, KBR Inc. and JGC ... America Inc. are conducting Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) in parallel for the Woodfibre LNG Project. At the end of the parallel FEED process, these two groups will submit Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) proposals and we'll award one of the companies an EPC contract.Asked by J. Kross, British Columbia
How does a tradesman go about getting hired on for this project? Given the current economy, will you ensure that jobs are given to Canadians first and ban companies that employ temporary foreign workers?
Hi Chris, It’s great to hear you’re interested in working on our project. We answered a similar question recently, so you ... might like to see the full answer in our previous post. As opportunities become available with Woodfibre LNG Limited, they’re posted on our Careers page. If there isn’t a job opening that matches your skill set, but you have experience that could help us deliver the project, send your resume to us at careers@wlng.ca.Asked by ChrisChampagne, British Columbia
Have you contracted for pipeline capacity on Spectra’s system? If so, when does it start, length of contract, and what is the maximum volume per day of gas that you will take from northern BC?
Gas for the Woodfibre LNG facility will be sourced from northeastern BC, and transported to the Woodfibre site through ... Spectra and then FortisBC’s pipeline network. We have contracted for long term capacity on the Spectra T-South pipeline. The details of our arrangements for pipeline capacity are confidential.Asked by Val, Other
I’m a pipefitter and a BC resident. I want to know who is doing the construction phase? I know lots of pipefitters and welders that would love a job on this project but it seems like these big jobs already have crews, and many foreign workers. I want to know the number of BC and Alberta residents you will hire, and who I can contact about these opportunities.
Hi Kris, It’s great to hear you're interested in working on our project. At Woodfibre LNG, we're committed to hiring qualified ... local workers, businesses and contractors first. To help us understand what services are available locally, we're encouraging businesses and contractors to sign up in our Business Directory. At the peak of construction, we’ll provide approximately 650 jobs. Since LNG export facilities are new to British Columbia and Canada, we expect that a small percentage of the construction workforce will be made up of international workers with unique skills that are not available in Canada. That said, based on the information we gathered for our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application, we anticipate sourcing the majority – approximately 80 per cent – of direct construction employment from within Canada, and most of this from within BC. At the moment, we're working through parallel Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) processes for the Project with KBR, Inc. and JGC America, Inc., and we expect to award one of these groups the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract at the end of this process. Once a preferred EPC contractor is announced, we’ll share the Business Directory with them, and we’d encourage you to contact them and discuss the skills you have to offer.Asked by Kris Welch, British Columbia
What are the differences between Woodfibre LNG and Pacific NorthWest LNG?
Hi Nizam, While Woodfibre LNG and Pacific Northwest LNG are both liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and export facilities in ... British Columbia, we are different in a few key ways: location, size, ownership and emissions. The Woodfibre LNG Project is located at the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, near Squamish, BC, on British Columbia’s south coast about 70 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. Pacific NorthWest LNG is planned for Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, BC, which is about a 16 hour drive from Squamish, BC. Woodfibre LNG is licenced to export 2.1 million tonnes of LNG per year, while Pacific NorthWest is much larger – 18 million tonnes of LNG per year. In terms of ownership – the Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG Limited, a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies. Meanwhile, Pacific NorthWest LNG is majority owned by PETRONAS, Malaysia's national energy company and one of the world's leading energy suppliers. In terms of our emissions, Woodfibre LNG will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro (instead of natural gas) which will reduce our emissions by more than 80%, and make Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. You can find more information about both projects at Woodfibrelng.ca, and Pacific NorthWest LNG.Asked by Nizam, Other
Do you need any metering pumps for wash water process? We have provided many pumps through a major EPC over the last 6 years. You or Fluor may have already been contacted by Milton Roy.
Thanks for sending us information about Milton Roy. If you haven’t done so already, please register in our Business ... Directory. We're encouraging businesses and contractors to sign up so that we know what services are available, and we're sharing this information with our two FEED (Front-End Engineering and Design) contractors: KBR, Inc. and JGC America, Inc.Asked by Lance Patterson, British Columbia
Is Woodfibre LNG a publicly traded stock?
Hi Gary, We're not publicly traded. The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG Limited, a privately ... held Canadian company based in Vancouver with a Community Office in Squamish. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies. RGE, also known as Royal Golden Eagle, was founded by Sukanto Tanoto, who is also its Chairman. RGE comprises of a group of companies that are focused on resource-based manufacturing industries and has a combined workforce of about 50,000 people worldwide. You can find out more about our parents companies on the Pacific Oil & Gas website and the RGE website.Asked by Gary, Other
Why is a 5 meter tunnel required to complete the pipeline from Squamish to the Woodfibre site? Why not bottom lay or overland?
Our partners at FortisBC are best placed to answer this question for you: they’re working on plans to expand ... their existing natural gas transmission system to serve our Woodfibre site. Their proposed Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Natural Gas Pipeline project (EGP) would add about 47 kilometres of new pipe, beginning north of the Coquitlam watershed and ending at the proposed Woodfibre industrial site. To learn more about the EGP project, including how feedback has shaped the route and construction methods, visit the Talking Energy website or ask FortisBC a question.Asked by Bill, Canada
I lived in Woodfibre until the townsite was closed when I was 13. A big part of growing up in Woodfibre was hiking and fishing. Is it possible to cross through Woodfibre LNG’s land to get access to fishing on Upper Mill and Cedar Creeks?
We’ve answered a similar question before: askwoodfibrelng.ca/access-to-the-back-country-was-always-available-to-hikers-hunters-and-tourists-will-it-still-be-available. For safety reasons there won’t be access through our site, but we’re ... working on an Access Management Plan to address recreational opportunities.Asked by Saint lair, Select a Region
How can we, the public, start applying for jobs?
Hi Brodie, As opportunities become available with the Woodfibre LNG project, they're posted on our Careers page. If there isn't ... a job opening that matches your skill set, but you have experience that could help us deliver the project, send your resume to us at careers@wlng.ca. Building a project that is right for Squamish and BC is our number one priority. In terms of job opportunities this means that whenever we can, we want to hire qualified locals first. Our project will create an estimated 650(+) jobs per year during construction, and about 100(+) full-time jobs (in shifts) at the facility once it's operational.Asked by Brodie, Whistler & Pemberton
I represent a western Canada pump manufacturer. Is Woodfibre constructing a vendors list, or is KBR doing that for you? Will there be a procurement department at Woodfibre?
The best way to make sure your company is considered for our procurement opportunities is to register in our ... href="https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/the-project/work-with-us/businesses/">Business Directory. We check the Directory as opportunities arise. As of January 2017 we're continuing to work through our parallel Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) process. Two firms, KBR Inc. and JGC America Inc. are reviewing our requirements and drafting detailed plans to build our facility. Once this process is complete, we'll choose one of these companies to deliver our facility and we expect more procurement opportunities then.Asked by Netzsch Canada Inc., Canada
What is the environmental impact to the Sound from the temperature of the water being discharged from the process?
Hi Satch, Thanks for your question. As of October 2016, the Woodfibre LNG Project will use air cooling as its cooling ... technology, instead of seawater cooling as originally planned. The decision to change to air cooling is the result of the Environmental Assessment Agreement and Environmental Certificate from the Squamish Nation. Learn more here.Asked by Satch, Prefer to not disclose
How much energy in gigawatt-hours/yr (GWh/yr ) will the site require from BC Hydro to export 2.1 million tonnes of LNG/yr? Will air cooling increase the amount of energy required?
Hi Martin, Thank you for the questions. Our power requirements for the Woodfibre LNG Project will be approximately 140 MW under ... normal conditions and 185 MW under peak loading. Air cooling is expected to result in approximately a 2% production decrease. Those numbers will be further refined as part of the parallel FEED currently underway. That being said - if we assume that the Woodfibre LNG plant uses 140 MW continuously (365 days per year; 24 hours per day), it would use 1,226 GWh annually.Asked by Martin C., Vancouver and surrounding areas
Where can I send my resume?
Hi Dan, Thank you for your question. It’s great to hear you are interested in working on our project. For the latest ... information on our progress, please keep an eye on the Work With Us page of our website.Asked by Dan Vos, Canada
I was never asked if I wanted this LNG project. How is it that you are allowed to start this project before the OK from environmental review is obtained?
Hi Willow, The Woodfibre LNG Project will be built on privately owned land that is zoned for industrial and employment ... use under the Squamish Community Plan. The Project has received three environmental approvals – from the federal and provincial governments – and through the one of a kind Squamish Nation environmental assessment process. For all project updates please click here.Asked by willow vardal, British Columbia
Why are we not building safe clean energy solutions that well be a good investment for the next generation? LNG is not going to get China off coal, it will add to the total global greenhouse gas out?
Hi Willow, Woodfibre LNG Limited wants to create a long-term social, environmental and economic connection with communities in Howe Sound. ... The Woodfibre LNG Project would create economic growth in the region, as we are planning to work with the community, postsecondary institutions and all levels of government to ensure that local companies and residents benefit from the opportunities that the project would create. It is our intention to fill positions and contracts locally when possible. China aims to reduce their coal consumption to less than 65% total energy use by 2017 in order to curb pollution levels. As the cleanest burning fossil fuel, LNG is the best and most reliable source to help transition away from high emission fuels. British Columbia currently has enough natural gas reserves to develop an LNG export industry for 150 years and British Columbia’s coast is ideally situated to export LNG to Asia.Asked by willow vardal, British Columbia
What is a safe distance to live away from an LNG tanker shipping boat? I live in Nanaimo, if one was to be passing my town when it exploded would it affect me?
Hi Willow, If the Woodfibre LNG Project goes ahead, LNG carriers – three to four per month, accompanied by at ... least three tugboats and piloted by two BC Coast Pilots – will transit Howe Sound on the existing shipping route through Queen Charlotte Channel east of Bowen Island. The carriers will then pass Gambier Island and Anvil Island as they travel to the Woodfibre LNG terminal. They will take the same route out of Howe Sound and back into international shipping lanes. You can see the shipping route in this illustration: https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Figure-for-Public-Open-Houses.jpgAsked by willow vardal, British Columbia
Are you really expecting people to support this project that will lower our quality of life risk our environment for a few jobs? How much is the gov’t pocketing on this unethical environmental gamble?
Hi Willow, The Woodfibre LNG Project will bring responsible economic growth to the community of Squamish, local First Nations and ... the region. It will provide an estimated 650 jobs per year of construction , 100 full time jobs in shifts at the facility and administrative type jobs in Squamish and Vancouver. These are good paying , family supporting jobs in a community where they average wage in the hospitality industry is $13 an hour, and utilities is $33 an hour according to the 2014 District of Squamish Community Profile.Asked by willow vardal, British Columbia
What is the approximate timing of project completion?
Hi Martin, Thank you for your question. Pending permitting, construction for the Woodfibre LNG Project could begin in 2017, with ... operation in 2020.Asked by Martin Chambers, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Have you selected an EPCIC contractor yet? Are they in Canada?
Hi Abdulla, Thank you for your question. We have not yet awarded an EPC contract, rather we recently announced the awarding ... of two FEED contracts: - KBR, Inc. of Houston, TX and JGC America, Inc. of Houston, TX. These two groups will conduct the FEED in parallel and will produce lump-sum turn-key (LSTK) proposals for an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract.Asked by A. Barahim, Canada
Do you know the exact route planned for the tankers going through Howe Sound?
Hi Al, Thank you for your question. You can find your answer here.Asked by Al, Bowen Island
How will you generate the electricity to power the plant?
Hi Tag, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro. You can learn more ... about BC Hydro Poroject here.Asked by tgrewal, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Where is the natural gas coming from and how does it get to Woodfibre?
Hi Fred, Thank you for your question. We have answered a similar question previously. Please see find it here.Asked by fred, Sunshine Coast
What are the names of the pipeline(s) that will feed the LNG terminal?
Hi Brad, The gas will be sourced from northeastern BC, and transported to the Woodfibre site through Spectra and then ... FortisBC’s pipeline network. It’s the same system that delivers natural gas to homes and businesses in Squamish, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island and has safely operated since 1990. The only difference is about 47 kilometres of new pipe will be added beginning in northern Coquitlam and ending at the Woodfibre site. To learn more about the Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas Pipeline project, click hereAsked by Pro Pipeline - Pro Canada, Canada
Where can local businesses find out more about procurement opportunities?
Hi Corey, Thank you for your interest in our project. At Woodfibre LNG, we are committed to hiring qualified local workers, ... businesses and contractors first. To help us do that, we are encouraging local businesses and contractors to sign up for our Business Directory so that we know what services are available locally. Learn more by visiting: woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-us.Asked by Corey Bonnar, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How will the natural gas get to the site?
Hi Kathi, The gas will be sourced from northeastern BC, and transported to the Woodfibre site through Spectra and then ... FortisBC’s pipeline network. It’s the same system that delivers natural gas to homes and businesses in Squamish, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island and has safely operated since 1990. The only difference is about 47 kilometres of new pipe will be added beginning in northern Coquitlam and ending at the Woodfibre site.Asked by Kathi, British Columbia
Why did Woodfibre LNG switch from seawater cooling to air cooling?
Thank you for your question As of October 2016, the Woodfibre LNG Project will use air cooling as its cooling ... technology, instead of seawater cooling as originally planned. The decision to change to air cooling is the result of the Environmental Assessment Agreement and Environmental Certificate from the Squamish Nation. Learn more here.Asked by Thomas, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Re: $1,745,928 paid by BC Hydro for Woodfibre’s IPP power in 2015: the plant is rated at 11,000 megaWatt/hours/year, which = $158.71 per mW/h. I pay about $100 per mW/h. Hydro loses on the deal. Why?
Hi Mr. Stewart, You can find background information on Woodfibre LNG’s historical hydroelectric generating station here It’s really not appropriate ... for us to comment on what you may be paying for BC Hydro or BC Hydro’s power supplier agreements, but we do encourage you to contact them directly here. Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by G. Barry Stewart, Vancouver and surrounding areas
What is the name of drilling contractor for boreholes planned?
Thank you for the question. The contractor carrying out geotechnical work for the Woodfibre LNG Project is Stantec. Stantec specializes ... in a number of services including engineering, surveying, environmental sciences, construction, and commissioning, and is also very proud of its Canadian roots. You can learn more about the company by clicking HERE.Asked by Vancouver Resident, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Will there be a camp to house the workers and how many workers at peak construction?
Thank you for your question We currently do not have plans to build a “workers camp.” However, we are looking ... at some local and regional accommodation options for during the construction period. In terms of construction jobs, we expect about 650 jobs per year of the estimated two year construction period.Asked by finnman, British Columbia
What is LNG?
Hi There, Thank you for your question. You can see your answer here. https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/about-lng/Asked by Heroine 46, British Columbia
Is LNG good for the envierment?
Hello, Thank you for your question. You can see the answer here. https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/about-lng/Asked by Heroine 46, British Columbia
Will the methane boil-off during tanker loading be re-liquefied, flared or vented?
Hello, Thank you for the question. During the loading of an LNG carrier, boil-off gas will be returned to our liquefaction ... plant and re-liquefied. Depending on the temperature of incoming LNG carrier storage tanks, intermittent flaring may result during initial ship loading, to assure control of systems pressure.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
Why did BC Hydro pay Woodfibre LNG $1,745,928 during the year ended March 31, 2016?
Hi Norman, There is a hydroelectric generating station on our site, with a capacity of approximately 1.7 megawatts (MW). It ... was built back in 1947, and is still in operation. Here is a photo: Woodfibre LNG Limited inherited a power supply agreement from Western Forest Products, when we purchased the Woodfibre site from them last year. In the BC Hydro and Power Authority, “Schedule of Payments to Suppliers for Goods and Services During the Year Ended March 31, 2015,” you’ll note that Western Forest Products Inc. was paid $2,178,471. As for Woodfibre LNG, the revenue from the hydroelectric generating station is used to ensure safe and efficient power production at the plant, and for any upgrades as needed. The revenue also flows back into the community through things like property tax and other site related government fees.Asked by Norm Farrell, Vancouver and surrounding areas
What is the name of the company that owns the Woodfibre site?
Thanks you for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited officially became the owner of the Woodfibre site on February 6, 2015. ... The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG Limited, a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver with a Community Office in Squamish. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies. RGE, also known as Royal Golden Eagle, was founded by Sukanto Tanoto, who is also its Chairman. RGE comprises of a group of companies that are focused on resource-based manufacturing industries and has a combined workforce of about 50,000 people worldwide.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
BC Safety requires certified plant personnel operating fired pressure equipment. Certificates are 1st (highest level) to 4th Class. What class of Power Engineers – and how many – will Woodfibre employ?
Thank you for your question Douglas. At this time, Woodfibre LNG is finalizing the design for our proposed facility and ... for that reason cannot commit to any specific level of certification or numbers for operations at this stage. We are currently working with government agencies like the Oil and Gas Commission, and local post-secondary institutions to help develop training programs to ensure British Columbians are ready for the opportunity that Woodfibre will bring to BC. Woodfibre LNG is committed to hiring locally, whenever we can. As part of our hiring strategy, we expect to recruit workers with experience in related industries, and then develop and train them to an international competency standard, which is recognized in the LNG industry.”Asked by Douglas, Squamish
What site posts contract disbursement?
Hi Lanco, Thank you for your question. The best way to stay up to date on any upcoming opportunities with our ... project is to register with our online Business Registry. For more information, please visit our websiteAsked by lanco, Squamish
Who has the civil contract?
Thank you for the question Shane. As of right now, no civil works contract has been awarded for the ... construction of the Woodfibre LNG Project. Civil works contract(s) will be awarded by our Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning contractor (EPCIC), and the EPCIC contract has not yet been awarded. In terms of what contracts have been awarded; on March 21, 2016, it was announced that KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) had been awarded a multi-phased contract for Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the Woodfibre Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project. Under the terms of the contract, KBR’s Houston office will provide FEED services, including FEED optimization, pre-FEED, FEED, and development of a fixed price offer for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. If you are interested in working on the Woodfibre LNG Project, please visit the Work With US section of our website.Asked by Shane White, Canada
What are your expected operating costs on a per tonne LNG basis?
Hi Mona, Thank you for your interest in Woodfibre LNG Limited. As our operating cost per tonne of LNG is ... key to our competitiveness, we won’t be sharing that information with the general public, notably our competitors.Asked by Mona, Canada
There are no maps on this website. Where exactly is the site located?
Hi Mike, Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited is proposing to build a modestly-sized liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and ... export facility at the former Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill site. Our site is located on the northwestern shore of Howe Sound approximately seven kilometres southwest of Squamish, B.C. The community of Britannia Beach is approximately 5.5 km southeast of the Project area; Darrell Bay is approximately 6.2 km to the east; and Port Mellon is approximately 22 km southwest. Vancouver is situated approximately 50 km southeast of the Project area. Our latest Community Update booklet contains a map of where the Woodfibre site is situated: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WF16_03-Project-Booklet-April.pdfAsked by Mike R, Vancouver and surrounding areas
I have a question I was hoping someone could answer. Will the LNG Tankers be hooked up to shore power when they are moored/uploading LNG at the plant?
Hi Eddie, Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG will provide electrical power to the docking facilities for LNG carrier operators that ... are equipped to use shore power. You can learn more about greenhouse gas management plans associated with the Woodfibre LNG project by reading section 5.3 of the Environmental Assessment Office application (www.eao.gov.bc.ca).Asked by Eddie Carter, Squamish
Will Woodfibre LNG be using local contractors?
Thank you for your interest in our project. At Woodfibre LNG, we are committed to hiring qualified local workers, businesses ... and contractors first. To help us do that, we are encouraging local businesses and contractors to sign up for our Business Directory so that we know what services are available locally. Learn more by visiting: woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-us.Asked by Anon, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Alberta lost 30,000+ resource jobs last year, how will WLNG insulate itself from globally declining resource prices?
Thanks for your question. We expect to have about 650 people working in Squamish per year of a two year ... construction period, and 100+ full time jobs at the Woodfibre site and about a dozen full time administration type jobs in Squamish during operation. We are also encouraging local businesses and contractors to sign up for our Business Directory so that we know what series are available locally, and ensure that qualified business and contractors are first in line for contracts with the Woodfibre LNG Project. Learn more by visiting: woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-us. On May 9, 2016, we announced that a Heads of Agreement (HoA) has been signed with Guangzhou Gas Group Co., Ltd (Guangzhou Gas Group) of China for nearly half of the annual LNG we plan to produce, starting in 2020. Guangzhou Gas Group is looking for a long-term stable supply of natural gas to meet the rapidly-growing demand for clean energy in Guangzhou City. Guangzhou City is the capital and largest city in the Guangdong Province of China. The HoA also includes a potential investment of up to 10% of the equity of Woodfibre LNG Limited by Guangzhou Gas Group, and marks another important step in the development of the Woodfibre LNG Project. You can learn more about the agreement, here. On March 21, 2016, KBR, Inc. announced it will be conducting the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the Woodfibre Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project. Under the terms of the contract, KBR’s Houston office will provide FEED services including FEED optimization, pre-FEED, FEED, and development of a fixed price offer for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. KBR has more than 40 years of experience in LNG development. Our work with KBR will help us make a final investment decision – likely by December 2016.Asked by Squamish Resident, Squamish
How are you measuring the public opinion of the WLNG project?
Thanks for your question. From the very beginning, we have committed to building a project that is right for Squamish, ... and right for BC. A big part of delivering on this promise has been our commitment to keep the conversation going in the community – well beyond what is required through the environmental assessment process. (You may have heard that we have three environmental approvals – federal, provincial and an environmental agreement with Squamish Nation). Between late 2013 and 2015, we participated in seven Open Houses that were attended by more than 870 people and 10 small group meetings involving more than 200 people in communities like Squamish, Britannia Beach, Whistler, West Vancouver, Furry Creek, and Bowen Island. We’ve attended more than 310 stakeholder meetings; held two telephone town halls; and, hosted two Business Information Sessions in Squamish for those interested in working on our project. In addition, on March 21, 2015, Woodfibre LNG, in cooperation with the Sunshine Coast Regional District and Gambier Island Local Trust Committee, hosted a Roundtable Discussion on Gambier Island. It’s also important to know that community consultation has led to meaningful changes to our Project, notably we will power our plant with electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent and will make Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG plants in the world.Asked by Squamish Resident, Squamish
What is the contact information to apply for construction phase of the project?
Hi Ty, Thank you for your interest in working with Woodfibre LNG. We recently awarded a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) ... contract to KBR, but we have not yet selected an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commission (EPCIC) contractor for the construction phase of our project. Keep your eye on our Careers page as that will be the first place where we post any upcoming positions for job openings. If you want more information or have additional questions, please email careers@woodfibrelng.ca. If you are a business owner, we encourage you to sign up for the Woodfibre LNG Business Directory as our selected EPCIC contractor will utilize our directory to source out vendors for the construction phase of our project. To register visit: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/the-project/work-with-us/business-directory/. We look forward to hearing from you!Asked by Ty, British Columbia
With KBR Houston having been named as the FEED EPC company, will general equipment sourcing be done locally (Vancouver and Area), or will it be sourced more from Houston?
Hi D Budd, Thanks for your question. At Woodfibre LNG Limited, we are committed to hiring qualified local workers and contracting ... to qualified local businesses first whenever possible. If you are interested in working on the Woodfibre LNG Project, please register with our Business Registry, which you can find by visiting woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-us. And just to clarity – KBR has been contracted to perform the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the Woodfibre LNG project, but it is our intention to construct our facility through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commission (EPCIC) contractor. Pending a Final Investment Decision, we will choose an EPCIC contractor who will utilize our business directory to source out vendors with the capabilities to supply goods, like general equipment, for our project.Asked by D Budd, Vancouver and surrounding areas
When will ferry service start?
Hi Michael, Thanks for your question. If our project is built, Woodfibre LNG would provide a private passenger ferry for construction ... and operation workers to access our site. For safety reasons, and since it will be an operating LNG facility, there would be no public access on the worker ferries.Asked by mikell, Squamish
Has Woodfibre submitted an application for a TERMPOL review and if so, will you make the hazard assessment report available upon request prior to decision?
Hi Ruth, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited submitted an application for Transport Canada’s Technical Review Process of Marine ... Terminal Systems and Transshipment Sites (TERMPOL) in late December 2015. At that time, the Transport Canada Marine Projects team in Vancouver let us know that it would take several months for them to complete their review and issue their report (they were in the process of reviewing two other large TERMPOL submissions at the time). Once the report of our project is complete, it will be published on Transport Canada’s webpage.Asked by Future of Howe Sound, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
How big will the wakes be from the tugs used to escort the LNG carriers? Tugs when moving from ship to shore create enormous wakes. Will they be required to go at slow speeds to address this issue?
Thanks for your question. The potential effects of wakes from Project-related vessel traffic were studied by the world class professional ... and technical staff at Moffat and Nichol (2014, 2015). What they found: Wakes from Project vessels are comparable to naturally occurring waves within Howe Sound. Project-related vessel traffic volumes will be small relative to existing traffic levels and Project wakes will not appreciably increase the existing vessel wake environment. Wakes from Project vessels transiting to the Woodfibre LNG Project site are projected to be smaller than the wakes generated by the existing BC Ferries vessel traffic because Project vessels will transit at lower speeds and will travel as far from shore as practicable. Wakes from vessels transiting to the Woodfibre LNG Project site will be smaller than wakes generated by existing vessels transiting to Squamish Terminals, because Project vessels will transit at substantially lower speeds. It is not envisaged that wake waves would heighten exposure of the public, contribute to shoreline erosion, or have any appreciable effect on existing infrastructure within Howe Sound. No additional wake mitigation measures are necessary for Project-related vessel traffic beyond those considered within this study. For more information, click here and here: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Marine-Transport-Information-Sheet.pdfAsked by Localmariner, Sunshine Coast
Was wondering where we apply for the security position if not filled as of yet?
Thank you for your question and interest in working with us. Building a project that is right for Squamish, and ... BC, is our number one priority. In terms of job opportunities that means whenever we can, we want to hire qualified locals first. The Site Supervisor position is listed on our website here: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/the-project/work-with-us/careers/. If you are interested in this position please submit your application to: careers@woodfibrelng.ca. Our project will create an estimated 650(+) jobs per year over the two-year construction period, and about 100(+) full-time jobs (in shifts) at the facility during operation.Asked by xerxes, Squamish
I am the business development manager for Wesco Distribution BC. We are registered as a electrical supplier to Woodfibre. My question is who would be the be the best contact at KBR for us?
Hello, Thank you for your interest in the Woodfibre LNG Project, and for registering with our Business Directory. Being registered ... with our Business Directory is the best way to ensure that your business is kept up-to-date on project opportunities. Just to clarify – KBR has been contracted to perform the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the Woodfibre LNG Project. Pending a final investment, it is our intention to construct our project through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning (EPCIC) contractor, and that contract has not yet been awarded. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us through businesses@woodfibrelng.ca Warm regards, Woodfibre LNG TeamAsked by ------, Bowen Island
Now that WLNG got Federal environmental approval, what are the next steps in terms of moving the project forward for WLNG?
Hi, Thank you for submitting your question. We are very happy to have received environmental approval from the federal government. The ... approval marks the conclusion of more than two and a half years of intensive work done by the Woodfibre LNG team and our engineering, environmental, and shipping consultants. The federal decision concludes the project’s environmental assessment review process. Prior to the Federal government decision, the project received approvals from separate Squamish Nation and Province of British Columbia environmental review processes. The next steps are to obtain all outstanding operating permits, and ensure that the conditions from the three environmental reviews are incorporated in the detailed design work and planning for construction and operation of the project. Woodfibre LNG Limited is working towards a Final Investment Decision in 2016, with a construction period beginning shortly after, followed by commissioning and regular operation.Asked by Bowen Island, Prefer to not disclose
Should people of Squamish, be subjected to radon, radioactive materials, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene), methylmercury, organoarsenic and organolead so you can ship clean gas?
Hi David, We must admit that your question had us scratching our heads a little bit. You’ve listed a few ... things that have nothing to do with our project. In terms of emissions associated with our project, it’s worth mentioning that our facility will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro. By powering the plant with electricity, the Project will generate approximately 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than if it was powered by natural gas. The majority of the Woodfibre LNG air emissions will come from the elements removed from the natural gas prior to liquefaction (because they would freeze during the process), which are subsequently incinerated. At peak capacity, the Project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG, which is well below the threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. Some of the compounds that are expected to be emitted from the project are: combustion gases, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) expressed as NO2, sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) ; and particulate matter, including total suspended particulate; particles that are smaller than 10 microns (0.01 mm) in diameter (referred to PM10, or inhalable particulate matter); and particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns (0.0025 mm) in diameter (referred to as PM2.5, or respirable particulate matter). These compounds were assessed against the regulatory requirements (both BC and federal ambient air quality objectives), as well as against relevant air quality indicators and targets specified in the Sea-to-Sky Air Quality Management Plan. The assessment concluded that the changes to air quality as a result of the Project are below ambient air quality criteria for all the indicator compounds listed above, and the residual effects are considered negligible or not significant. To learn more, please see our Air Quality Information Sheet.Asked by David, Other
Will the project be moving ahead in 2016?
Thanks for your question. We recently received a similar question about schedule – we encourage you to have a read, ... here.Asked by North American Construction Group, Canada
What is the latest time line for the project?
Hi there, Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited is working towards a Final Investment Decision in 2016, with a two ... year construction period beginning shortly after, followed by commissioning and regular operation. Construction can’t start, however, until our project receives federal government approval, as well as some permitting. The federal government recently introduced five new rules that apply to projects undergoing federal environmental assessments. We’ve been invited to comment on the analysis of the upstream emissions associated with our project and will be going over the report and then submitting an official comment to the agency. The public is also invited to comment on the analysis during a three-week comment period which commenced this week. The deadline for written comments is March 1, 2016. A copy of the analysis is available here. For more information please visit the CEAA website, here. Once the comment period concludes, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will render a decision on our project. Under the old rules, the minister had 60 days to render a decision. There is now no timeline for such decisions.Asked by Andy, Canada
I pay all the taxes you mention except the LNG tax. (Thanks for being a good corporate citizen) I asked, “Is or will this company receive any subsidies/grants from the Canadian or B.C. governments?”
Hi David, Thanks for following up. Woodfibre LNG Limited will pay all applicable taxes. If you have questions or concerns about ... which taxes apply to industrial projects like LNG, please contact the applicable government agencies.Asked by David, Other
What are the top priorities of the project? Will you employ Canadian workers or follow suit of other major producers and request temp foreign workers to complete a majority of the project?
Hi Richard, Building a project that is right for Squamish, and BC, is our number one priority. In terms of ... job opportunities that means whenever we can, we want to hire qualified locals first. Our project will create an estimated 650(+) jobs per year over the two-year construction period, and about 100(+) full-time jobs (in shifts) at the facility during operation. If you are wondering how we will know if we have delivered on our commitment to hiring and contracting a qualified local workforce whenever possible – through BC’s environmental assessment approval process, Woodfibre LNG is required to develop a local hiring strategy and a local training strategy; both of these strategies will be monitored and reported on. We are also required to provide information regarding job opportunities and subcontracting business opportunities to the local community. In addition, Woodfibre LNG Limited is required to design and deliver programs to support Aboriginal employment and contracting opportunities, skills training and education opportunities. With all of this in mind, if you are interested in working with us or would like to register your business in our business directory, please visit the Work With Us section of our website.Asked by Richard, Canada
We all know nothing is perfect, how much natural gas do gov’t regulations allow to vent or leak from the site on a monthly basis. How much do you expect?
Hi David, Thanks for your questions. The Woodfibre LNG Project is being designed to incinerate the elements from the feed gas ... that have to be removed because they would freeze during the liquefaction process. There are no plans to vent gas. As for the regulations you are asking about – LNG facilities have to be designed and built in accordance with the British Columbia (BC) Oil and Gas Activities Act, and the associated Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation. Section 17 of the Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation imposes limits on the quantity of gas that can be vented from an LNG facility. Similarly, Section 18 of the Liquefied Natural Gas Facility Regulation limits the amount of gas that can be flared. The Oil and Gas Commission has prepared the Flaring and Venting Reduction Guideline (April 2015) that provides regulatory requirements and guidance for flaring, incinerating and venting in British Columbia.Asked by David, Other
You call this a processing plant, but any definition for removing impurities from a substance is called refining. Why is this not called a refinery, or is that a dirty word in the fossil fuel industry?
Hi David, Thanks for your question. The Woodfibre LNG Project is a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing and export facility. If ... our project goes ahead, Woodfibre LNG will receive natural gas from an expanded FortisBC pipeline that currently delivers natural gas to homes and businesses in Squamish, Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Elements that would freeze during the liquefaction process will be removed from the natural gas in the pre-treatment and liquefaction plant. The remaining gas, which is mostly methane, will then be cooled until it changes from a gas state to a liquid state (- 162°C). Three to four times a month, an LNG carrier will arrive at the Woodfibre site. LNG will be loaded onto the carrier. About 24 hours after arriving, the LNG carrier will head out of Howe Sound, on its way to overseas customers. As for oil refineries, if you are interested in learning about oil refineries, the Natural Resources Canada’s web site is a wonderful resource. You’ll find it here: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/energy-sources-distributionAsked by David, Other
Is or will this company receive any subsidies from the Canadian or B.C. governments? If so how much?
Hi David, Thank you for your questions. Woodfibre LNG is expected to generate economic benefits through direct expenditures on goods and ... services, creation of employment opportunities and generation of tax revenues for local, provincial and federal governments. In terms of taxes, Woodfibre LNG will be responsible for paying a variety of taxes including: property tax, GST, PST, carbon tax, LNG tax, motor fuel fees and more. If you’d like a more detailed breakdown of these taxes, please see Section 2.6 of our Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate here. To learn more about the economic benefits of Woodfibre LNG, you may want to review a similar question we received here: https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/what-are-the-economic-costs-and-benefits-to-howe-sounds-for-example-jobs-taxes/Asked by David, Other
At full production, how much coal will be displaced in power gereration in China or elsewhere?
Hi William, Thanks for your question. Our proposed project is licensed to export approximately 2.1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas ... (LNG) per year for 25 years. While MOUs have been signed in relation to possible customers for our product, those potential agreements have not yet been finalized as our project is awaiting federal approval and a final investment decision. Having said that, Woodfibre LNG Limited is of the view that natural gas – the cleanest burning fossil fuel – is the best and most reliable way to help transition away from high-emission fuels such as oil and coal. This is particularly true in energy-hungry Asian markets, where Woodfibre LNG plans to sell its product. In fact, replacing just one 500 Megawatt coal-fired power plant with natural gas fueled power generation for one year, equates to taking 557,000 cars off the roads over the same time period (Source: Centre for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG)). The Woodfibre LNG Project will be powered by electricity provided by BC Hydro. By powering the plant with electricity, instead of natural gas, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by about 80%. This will make Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. In its environmental regulations, the provincial government has set out standards that all LNG facilities must meet, and the Woodfibre LNG plant will always do better. At peak capacity, the Woodfibre Project will have a GHG intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG; in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, government has set a threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG. If global warming and climate change is a topic that interests you, we can recommend a piece published in the Vancouver Sun earlier this year by Elizabeth and Richard Muller.Asked by Willam F, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Much of the year Howe Sound water has a high concentration of suspended glacial silt, what affects would this have on a water cooling system?
Updated - January 2017 In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hi David, Thanks for your question. The detailed design work for our proposed seawater cooling system will be done by professional engineers, and will include water quality considerations specific to Howe Sound. Historic water quality data and new data, including turbidity and total suspended solids, were collected and examined by Woodfibre LNG’s environmental consultants during the environmental assessment phase of the Project, and also helped inform the preliminary design of the proposed cooling system. It is also worth knowing that as part of the Squamish Nation Environmental Agreement, Woodfibre LNG has committed to conducting a more detailed investigation of cooling technologies, including seawater cooling, and Squamish Nation has a direct say on which cooling technology is used for the Project.Asked by David Gonzalez, Squamish
What is timeline for construction on the project?
Hi Chris, Thanks for your interest in the project and for getting in touch with your question. Pending regulatory approvals and ... a final investment decision, construction could begin in 2016, and the project could be operational in 2018. If you are interested in finding out more about our current job or contract opportunities, please visit the Work With Us section of our website.Asked by chris, Other
You say LNG is not combustible or explosive in liquid state. Would a spill into 10C Howe Sound or a 30C atmosphere, not result in LNG immediately boiling into a combustible/explosive vapour?
Hi David, In order for a fire to happen, a number of things must occur simultaneously: there must be a ... loss of containment of LNG, the right fuel to air ratio (five-to-15 per cent) and there must be a spark. These conditions are highly unlikely to occur given the complex containment systems, double-hull protection and emergency shut-off, and fire protection systems on LNG carriers, the local marine expertise and the weather conditions that are common in a large fjord like Howe Sound. To learn more about what would happen in the unlikely event of an LNG spill, you may want to view our Q&A video on vapour clouds featuring Colin Rettie, CEng, MIMarEST, Director of ARC: https://youtu.be/sequsesjhdEAsked by David, Other
How often will the incinerator run? Other than CO2 what other chemicals will be emitted? Why do people believe this plant will not be a refinery?
Hi David, Let’s address your last question first. Woodfibre LNG Limited is proposing to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing ... and export facility at the former Woodfibre Pulp and Paper Mill near Squamish. The Woodfibre LNG Project comprises construction and operation of a gas processing and liquefaction facility to produce approximately 2.1 million metric tonnes per annum of LNG, associated storage capacity of 250,000m3, and export infrastructure. The Woodfibre LNG Project will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro. By powering the plant with electricity, the Project will generate approximately 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than if it was powered by natural gas. The majority of the Woodfibre LNG air emissions will come from the elements removed from the natural gas prior to liquefaction (because they would freeze during the process), which are subsequently incinerated. At peak capacity, the Project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG, which is well below the threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. Some of the compounds that are expected to be emitted from the project are: combustion gases, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) expressed as NO2, sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) ; and particulate matter, including total suspended particulate; particles that are smaller than 10 microns (0.01 mm) in diameter (referred to PM10, or inhalable particulate matter); and particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns (0.0025 mm) in diameter (referred to as PM2.5, or respirable particulate matter). These compounds were assessed against the regulatory requirements (both BC and federal ambient air quality objectives), as well as against relevant air quality indicators and targets specified in the Sea-to-Sky Air Quality Management Plan. The assessment concluded that the changes to air quality as a result of the Project are below ambient air quality criteria for all the indicator compounds listed above, and the residual effects are considered negligible or not significant. To learn more, please see our Air Quality Information Sheet.Asked by David, Other
I heard air quality studies may be flawed, test studies used should not be applied to mountainous areas. Air containment in valleys, emission residuals could accumulate higher than gov’t guidelines?
Hi David, Thanks for getting in touch. All studies for our Environmental Assessment Application were conducted by qualified professionals. At peak capacity, ... the Project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG, which is well below the threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. To learn more, please see our Air Quality Information Sheet.Asked by David, Other
What is the name of the environmental company on the project?
Hi JR, Thanks for your question. Our main environmental consultant is Hemmera. You can learn more about them by visiting their ... website.Asked by JR, British Columbia
Will the returning water with its higher temperature, make a difference to Howe sound. After it’s used for cooling the gas? And what are the estimated temperature changes?
Updated - January 2017 In October 2016 Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hi Michael, Thanks for your questions about our proposed cooling technology. During the early design phase of our project, we considered several different cooling technologies to remove the heat created during the liquefaction process. We chose seawater cooling because it is efficient, and produces less noise and visual effects than air cooling. The seawater will be returned to Howe Sound through a diffuser system. The system is designed so that within 10 metres of the diffuser, the water temperature will be less than 1°C different than the surrounding water in Howe Sound. The total volume of water with a temperature between 1°C and 10°C above the surrounding water is expected to be less than 125 cubic metres (approximately 1/20th the volume of an Olympic-size pool). This volume will not increase over time. It’s also important to know that through our recent Environmental Assessment Agreement with Squamish Nation, Squamish Nation has a direct say on our cooling technology. Woodfibre LNG will fund additional independent studies on seawater and alternate cooling technologies. If seawater cooling is selected, Woodfibre LNG will conduct additional studies to quantify effects to marine life in Howe Sound; and, implement mitigation measures or offsetting opportunities to achieve a no net long-term residual effect. If you would like to learn more about the Environmental Assessment Agreement with Squamish Nation, click here. For more information on seawater cooling, click here.Asked by Michael, British Columbia
Is your liquefaction facility land-based or floating (FLNG)? Was either design contemplated at some point and if so could you give the reason a change in design was made and when? What about the FSUs?
Hi there, Thank you for your questions. Woodfibre LNG Limited is proposing to build a land-based liquefaction facility with a floating ... storage and offloading unit (FSO). Back in Spring of 2013, Woodfibre LNG ran parallel pre-FEED process for both land-based and floating LNG facilities. In June of 2014, the decision was made to proceed with a land-based liquefaction facility and an FSO in response to community concern about the potential effects of underwater noise and vibration. If you are interested, you can learn more about the proposed project design and layout in Section 2.2 of our Environmental Assessment Certificate application.Asked by Resident - Vancouver, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How do you ignore the international standard for LNG ships being too close to shore, homes etc in every route from Woodfibre to the Strait of Georgia? This is a serious offense.
Hi Greg, Thank you for your question. The Woodfibre LNG site and Howe Sound do in fact meet international standards for ... LNG terminals. You can see for yourself by reading how our site incorporates the Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd’s (SIGTTO) guidance here. If you haven’t heard of SIGTTO, it is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the safe and reliable operation of gas tankers and terminals within a sound environment. The Society has consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and represents more than 200 companies that operate more than 95% of the world’s LNG tankers and terminals. We are also proud to be an associate member of SIGTTO. In fact, they even featured us in a recent newsletter (page 11). Once in regular operations, we’ll become a full member.Asked by Greg Lanyon, British Columbia
If one of your tankers exploded while it is mid-way between Bowen Island and Whytecliff, how far would the fireball/blast travel? Could it (not would it) reach either shore?
Thank you for the question. A preliminary Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) was conducted by Lloyd’s Register Consulting, and reviewed and ... validated by Abbott Risk Consultants out of the United Kingdom for the Woodfibre LNG Project. They found that there is currently no vessel large enough in Howe Sound to cause a loss of containment from an LNG carrier. You can read more about their work here: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Woodfibre-LNG-Information-Sheets-Public-Safety.pdf That being said – work continues today through Transport Canada’s TERMPOL review process to ensure that Woodfibre LNG has the measures in place to ensure the safe transit of LNG carriers in Howe Sound. We’ve already committed to implementing the review’s recommendations because safety is our priority; for our employees and the public, where they live and work. By the way, liquefied natural gas (LNG) cannot burn or explode because LNG does not contain oxygen, which is required for either of those reactions to occur. If LNG were to come in contact with the air, it would start to return to a gas. Since natural gas is less dense than air, the gas would dissipate into the upper atmosphere. For an explosion to occur with natural gas, several things would have to happen at the same time: natural gas would have to be contained in a confined space; the ratio between gas and air must be within a very specific range (5% – 15%); and, there must be a spark present. These are conditions that LNG carriers, which have one of the best safety records in the shipping industry, are designed to guard against.Asked by West Vancouver waterfront resident, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Have you determined what route the LNG tankers will take through Howe Sound? If so, what is that route? If you have not set a route yet, when will you do so?
Hello, Thank you for contacting us with your questions. If the Woodfibre LNG Project goes ahead, LNG carriers – three to ... four per month, accompanied by at least three tugboats and piloted by two BC Coast Pilots – will transit Howe Sound on the existing shipping route through Queen Charlotte Channel east of Bowen Island. The carriers will then pass Gambier Island and Anvil Island as they travel to the Woodfibre LNG terminal. They will take the same route out of Howe Sound and back into international shipping lanes. You can see the shipping route in this illustration: https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Figure-for-Public-Open-Houses.jpgAsked by West Vancouver waterfront resident, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
Where does Fortis get their natural gas from?
Thanks for your question. We actually received a similar question that we think will be of interest to you: ... href="https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/is-doubling-the-pipeline-being-put-in-only-for-the-woodfibre-project-or-are-we-supplying-other-lng-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/is-doubling-the-pipeline-being-put-in-only-for-the-woodfibre-project-or-are-we-supplying-other-lng-projects/ If you’d like to read more about FortisBC’s Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre LNG Gas Pipeline Project, please visit: https://www.fortisbc.com/About/ProjectsPlanning/GasUtility/NewOngoingProjects/EagleMountainWoodfibreGasPipelineProject/Pages/Project-overview.aspxAsked by RC, British Columbia
When will construction start? Who is doing the commissioning and construction for Woodfibre LNG?
Hi Trevor, Pending regulatory approvals and a final investment decision, construction could begin in 2016. Construction and commissioning will be done ... by an EPCIC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning) contractor. It is our intention to award this contract only after receiving regulatory approvals. If you are interested in finding our more about current job or contract opportunities, please visit the Work With Us section of our website.Asked by Trevor, Vancouver and surrounding areas
I would like to know the amount of heat in BTU/HR (British Thermal Units) that will be rejected in the the sea water during the liquefaction process of the natural gas?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hello, Thank you for the question. The maximum increase in water temperature at the diffuser of the proposed seawater cooling will be 10oC. As for your request for a calculation – it is not part of the environmental assessment process. If you are interested in doing your own calculation, you are welcome to review the data in Section 5.10 of our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.Asked by Harry, Squamish
I would like to know what chemicals will be discharged back into Howe Sound in the Open Loop that will be used for the rejection of heat during the liquefaction process of the natural gas?
Hi Harry, You may be interested to know that Squamish Nation Council has approved an Environmental Assessment Agreement with Woodfibre ... LNG Limited, which among other conditions, gives Squamish Nation a direct say on what cooling technology is used to remove heat during the liquefaction process. If after a review, seawater cooling remains the preferred cooling method, a sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) solution will be added to the seawater in a closed loop system to discourage the growth of marine organisms that can cause clogging and make the system less efficient. The dosage of hypochlorite solution will be optimized and adjusted so that the minimum necessary amount is added to the seawater. Before being discharged back into Howe Sound, the seawater will pass through a de-aeration tank. This tank is designed to encourage mixing of seawater and air, which removes chlorine from the water. If it is needed, a de-chlorination agent will be added to the seawater to reduce the chlorine concentration to meet water quality guidelines. If you would like more information on the proposed seawater cooling system, please see our information sheet, or view Section 5.10 of our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.Asked by Harry, Squamish
I understand Woodfibre LNG is somehow connected to a company conducting large-scale burning of Indonesian forest. Can you please respond?
Thank you for the question. We checked with our colleagues at RGE and it looks like this story, which ... is not accurate, originated in The Jakarta Post in September 2015. The company named in the story, HSL, is not a subsidiary of any of the RGE group of companies. Also, the RGE group of companies in Indonesia has a zero burn policy. To learn more, visit: https://aprildialog.com/2015/09/23/aprils-no-burn-policy-in-action/Asked by Mike Hedberg, Squamish
What are the water usage requirements for the WoodFibre LNG Project?
Thank you for the question. Freshwater will be needed to support Woodfibre LNG production processes, infrastructure for employees (domestic and ... potable water), and firefighting. Water would be diverted from Mill Creek, which runs through the centre of the project site, through a buried gravity pipe and storage tank. Approximately 0.007 m3/s of freshwater will be withdrawn from Mill Creek during normal project operation, or about 0.2 % of the creek flow will be diverted. During construction and decommissioning of the Woodfibre LNG Project, the water diversion rate will be about 0.07 m3/s. Our freshwater requirements will be further refined during the detailed design and permitting phases of our project. You can learn more about Woodfibre LNG Limited’s water requirements by reading Section 5.9 Surface Water Quantity of our Environmental Assessment Certificate application.Asked by Zaf, Sunshine Coast
What is the maximum number of LNG tankers per month that the new facility can service?
Hi Julian, Thank you for your question. If our project goes ahead, three to four LNG carriers will travel to the ... Woodfibre LNG site each month, or up to 40 vessels a year. Thank you.Asked by Julian Edward, British Columbia
What is an “associate” membership in SIGTTO, anyhow? Does it let you use their logo and name without actually adhering to their standards, policies, recommendations, etc?
Thank you for the questions. Woodfibre LNG Limited is an Associate Member of the Society of ... International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO). SIGTTO is an international non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the safe and reliable operation of gas tankers and terminals within a sound environment. The Society has consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and represents more than 200 companies that operate more than 95% of the world’s LNG tankers and terminals, and more than 50% of the world’s LPG tankers and terminals. Woodfibre LNG Limited is committed to becoming a full member of SIGTTO once the Woodfibre LNG project is operational as is required by SIGTTO. As for SIGTTO standards, policies and recommendations – we think you are referring to SIGTTO’s “LNG Ports - Risk Reduction Options,” as outlined in its “Site Selection and Design for LNG Ports and Jetties,” Information Paper No.14, June 2004. The Woodfibre LNG Project incorporates those risk reduction options – and you can see for yourself how by reading “SIGTTO LNG Ports Risk Reduction Options and Woodfibre LNG response"Asked by Dave C, Squamish
I would like to start a business and participate in the procurement as a First Nation. How can this happen?
Thank you for your question. We’re committed to hiring locally and contracting local businesses, whenever possible, and that includes with ... local First Nations. At this stage, we would encourage you to sign up to our online Business Directory, and we will keep in touch with you regarding any upcoming opportunities. For more information, please visit our website.Asked by Squamish Member, British Columbia
Is doubling the pipeline being put in only for the Woodfibre project? Or are we supplying other LNG projects?
Hi Eric, Thanks for your question. If our proposed, small-scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility is approved, FortisBC would transport ... the natural gas we purchase from producers in northern B.C. to the Woodfibre site via its Vancouver Island natural gas existing transmission system. It’s the same system that delivers natural gas to homes and businesses in Squamish, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island and has safely operated since 1990. To deliver the amount of natural gas we need, FortisBC must expand a section of its Vancouver Island system. That project is called the Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre LNG Gas Pipeline Project and it’s undergoing a full environmental assessment by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the Squamish First Nation. We forwarded your question to FortisBC and here’s what they had to say: As a regulated utility in B.C., FortisBC has a duty to investigate new customer connections – whether it’s a new housing development, small business or a large industrial customer like Woodfibre LNG. The proposed Eagle Mountain expansion project is being proposed to provide the natural gas service that Woodfibre LNG has requested; it’s not associated with any other proposed LNG project on the south coast or northern B.C. If the project is approved, we would add about 47 kilometres of new pipe beginning in northern Coquitlam and ending at the existing Woodfibre industrial site southwest of Squamish. The most environmentally sound way to build a new section of pipeline is to generally follow the path of the existing one, which is what we’re proposing. We will also need to make upgrades to our Eagle Mountain compressor station in Coquitlam and build a new compressor station in or near Squamish. FortisBC is consulting with the public, local communities, and other stakeholders and rights holders as part of the BC EAO environmental review process. We’re also participating in the Squamish Nation’s independent environmental review process. Benefits to FortisBC customers Existing and future FortisBC natural gas customers will benefit from the expansion project, if it’s approved and built. New large industrial customers like Woodfibre LNG are required to pay a rate tariff that both covers the cost of infrastructure upgrades and provides additional financial benefits to help lower natural gas delivery rates for all our existing customers. In addition, we will also have long-term “take or pay” contracts in place with these new large industrial customers that will provide security to mitigate risks to our existing customers. If you’d like more information about FortisBC’s expansion project, there are several ways you can get in touch: Visit the Eagle Mountain expansion project website Talk to a FortisBC representative at the Squamish community office Call FortisBC toll-free at 1-855-380-5784 Email FortisBC at egp@fortisbc.com Thanks Eric.Asked by Eric Houghton, British Columbia
Using propane as a refrigerant should be an alternative to the proposed sea water cooling system. It is a closed system. Why did you discount this cooling method?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hi Peter, Thanks for your question. If our Project is approved and built, Woodfibre LNG Limited will use Butane and Ethane as the refrigerants instead of Propane in the liquefaction cooling process. However, a cooling system still requires air or water to remove the waste heat after the natural gas has been cooled to a liquid state at -162°C. This means we cannot run the cooling system on refrigerants alone. As part of our early design process, we considered a number of different cooling methods including air cooling, evaporative cooling (cooling tower, wetted surface air cooler, and hybrid wet-dry wetted surface air cooler), freshwater cooling from local streams, and, seawater cooling from Howe Sound. We chose seawater cooling as our preferred method because our assessment found that it provides greater stability in production and is more energy efficient than air cooling. In addition, seawater cooling produces less environmental noise and has less visual effects than air cooling. A summary of the results of the study on cooling mediums can be found in our Environmental Assessment Certificate application in 2.4.6 Alternative Cooling Technologies. You’ll note that it does not include costs as that is not public information at this time. To learn more about our proposed seawater cooling system, please see our seawater cooling information sheet.Asked by Peter Parsonage, Squamish
If zombies took over the earth, how long could you guys keep liquefying natural gas? Could the tankers be adapted to take human survivors to a UN safe zone in the Pacific?
Hi Bobby, Thank you for your questions. While we certainly hope that zombies don’t take over the earth, Woodfibre LNG is ... licensed to export about 2.1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year, for 25 years. The LNG carriers that will travel to Woodfibre LNG are about the same size as the average cruise ship – nearly 300 metres long. LNG carriers are double-hulled ships specifically designed to handle LNG at its -162°C temperature, and are equipped with state-of-the-art safety and emergency systems. Because these carriers are designed to carry LNG, we can’t say for sure that they could be adapted for human survivors, but given they are double-hulled with double containment systems, we think zombies would have a hard time getting into them. You might also be interested to know, Woodfibre LNG will be designed for all sorts of unpredictable events. While zombies are not specifically on the list, we’re pretty confident that these design features will help in the event of a zombie apocalypse: Geotechnical and Natural HazardsAsked by Bobby, Squamish
I understand the cooling will come from seawater, why not use the water from either Mill or Cedar creek?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the ... cooling technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hi Terry, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited did investigate freshwater cooling from streams at the Woodfibre site. Our studies found that Woodfibre and Mill Creeks would not be able to supply enough water to support such a system. If you are interested in learning more about our assessment of alternate cooling methods, you may want to read this report.Asked by Terry, Squamish
When’s the construction going to start for this site?
Updated: February 2016: https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/what-is-the-latest-time-line-for-the-project/ Hi Dennis, Thank you for your question. Pending regulatory approvals, a final investment decision, and when we choose ... an EPCIC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning) contractor, construction could begin by the end of the year (2015). For current job opportunities, visit the Work With Us section of our website.Asked by dennis, British Columbia
Have you evaluated your system based on the 4 sustainability principles of The Natural Step?
Hi BP, Thank you for your question. The Woodfibre LNG Project was not evaluated on the four sustainability principles of The ... Natural Step. We have, however, set a clear direction across our organization to strive for sustainability and community involvement in everything we do. That is best reflected in our mission statement, which is published on our website: Woodfibre LNG strives to achieve business objectives through a triple bottom line approach, where results are mutually beneficial to the community, the country and the company. These guiding principles have led us to make several important decisions throughout the course of our Project. For example, we committed to use electricity from BC Hydro to power our liquefaction plant instead of burning natural gas at the proposed Project site. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent and will help make ours one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. The proposed Woodfibre LNG Project has also lead to significant clean-up and remediation at the Woodfibre site – a former pulp mill that has seen more than a century of industrial use. For more on those efforts, please see our project newsletter on remediation.Asked by BP, Squamish
Can you clear up the reputation of WFLNG’s owner and comment on how his past business practices, including a conviction in the U.S. for tax evasion qualify him as a good partner for BC and Squamish?
Thank you for the questions Andrew. The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned and operated by Woodfibre LNG Limited, a privately ... held Canadian company based in Vancouver with a Community Office in Squamish. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies. RGE, also known as Royal Golden Eagle, was founded by Sukanto Tanoto, who is also its Chairman. RGE comprises of a group of companies that are focused on resource-based manufacturing industries and has a combined workforce of about 50,000 people worldwide. RGE, and all of its companies, strive to achieve business objectives through a triple bottom line approach, where results are mutually beneficial to the community, the country, and the company. In 2014, this triple bottom line approach to business resulted in two RGE subsidiaries, Asian Agri and Apical, signing the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto, which commits the two companies to end all deforestation in High Carbon Stock forest areas and creates traceable and transparent supply chains. Then just last month (June 2015), another RGE company, APRIL, announced a major update to its Sustainable Forestry Management Policy. This policy ends all deforestation in APRIL's pulp and paper operations – a move that was applauded by both Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund. RGE's Forestry, Fibre, Pulp & Paper Sustainability Framework makes similar commitments. As for what you may have read online about allegations of tax evasion, we'd like to clarify that the Asian Agri case is still being heard before the Indonesia Tax Court, and Asian Agri reserves the right to appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court. While this case remains in dispute, Asian Agri has fully paid the imposed fine so as to safeguard the interests of various stakeholders, in particular the livelihood of 25,000 employees and 29,000 community farmers. You may also be interested to know that Mr. Sukanto Tanoto is widely respected for his philanthropic efforts through the Tanoto Foundation which he founded. The Tanoto Foundation and its partners work together to support improved access to education, clean water, electricity, and health facilities for the poor in places where RGE companies do business, like Indonesia. To learn more about RGE, visit Inside RGE.Asked by Andrew Mayo, Squamish
If there is an explosion at the site or onboard a LNG Tanker in Howe Sound, how many innocent lives will be lost? If you believe in LNG safety – would you put your own children on site?
Hi There, Thank you for your question. Safety is our number one priority; the safety of our employees, the safety of ... our operations and the safety of the surrounding communities. It’s important to know that LNG shipping is very safe. In fact, there has never been a loss of containment of LNG at sea in 50 years of LNG shipping. Plus, in the very unlikely event of an LNG spill, LNG does not mix with land or water; it quickly changes from a liquid to a gas and dissipates. For LNG to lead to an explosion, it must first warm to a gaseous state and three conditions must occur simultaneously: there must be a confined space; the right fuel to air ratio (5% to 15%); and, there must be a spark – conditions that LNG carriers and LNG processing plants are designed to guard against. In addition, studying probable worst case scenarios, is an important part of designing an LNG facility and establishing operation and shipping protocols and procedures. Again, processing and shipping LNG are very safe – and at Woodfibre LNG, we are committed to maintaining this impressive safety record.Asked by Concern Parent, Squamish
What type of industry experience would you like to see on the resumes of your local skilled tradespeople?
Hi Casey, Thank you for the question. It’s great to hear you are interested in our project. You might be interested ... in looking at a previous post that can be found here.Asked by Casey, Squamish
What would happen if there was a large forest fire near WLNG? How would it be contained and what if it couldn’t? Consequences?
Hi Michelle, With the recent fires in Pemberton, we certainly understand that there is concern from the community with regard ... to ensuring that the Woodfibre LNG site is prepared for any scenario. At Woodfibre LNG, safety is our number one priority, which is why should our project go ahead, we will have firefighting capabilities on land and water. Firefighting equipment, including fixed water monitors, dry risers, fire extinguishers, fire hose boxes, fire hydrants, fire water pumps, fire trucks, and foam systems, will all be located at pre-determined strategic locations in the process areas at the facility. A storage tank, with a volume of approximately 3,800m3 will supply water to a gravity-fed firefighting system, plus a secondary system will also be on hand to pump seawater, if required in the event of a fire, as well as a tugboat equipped with firefighting capabilities at the Woodfibre site. In the unlikely event that the fire cannot be contained, the facility would have several elements of protection, including spill detection along with backup and emergency shutdown systems. More information about public safety measures that would be undertaken by Woodfibre LNG can be found here.Asked by Michelle Neilson, Other
Why are you choosing to use a water cooling system as opposed to an air cooling system?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Hi Charlene, Thank you for the question. As part of our early design process, we considered a number of different cooling methods including air cooling, evaporative cooling (cooling tower, wetted surface air cooler, and hybrid wet-dry wetted surface air cooler), freshwater cooling from local streams, and, seawater cooling from Howe Sound. We chose seawater cooling as our preferred method because our assessment found that it provides greater stability in production and is more energy efficient than air cooling. In addition, seawater cooling produces less environmental noise and has less visual effects than air cooling. If you are interested in learning more about the types of cooling methods we considered as part of the early design work of our project, please read our Assessment of Alternative Cooling Methods, which is posted on the Environmental Assessment Office’s web site here.Asked by Charlene, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
What is the vendor selection process?
Hello, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG will be constructed through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning (EPCIC) contractor. ... We have received the EPCIC proposals, and are currently evaluating the bids. We will let people know once a preferred EPCIC contractor has been established. In the meantime, our online Business Directory is where local businesses and contractors can register to ensure they have the latest information on upcoming contracts and opportunities. It’s also a great way for us to learn more about the services offered by local businesses and contractors. Please visit the Business Directory to register, and to receive email updates about potential business opportunities as they arise, as well as notifications about upcoming events.Asked by Valve Guy, Vancouver and surrounding areas
What, if any, updates for your project in Sarita bay port alb.?
Hi Greg, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG Limited is proposing to build a facility near Squamish, BC, and not ... in Sarita Bay. You may be thinking about the Steelhead LNG project. For more information on that project, you can visit: https://www.steelheadlng.com/Asked by Greg Taylor, British Columbia
Recently on a BC Ferry to Langdale there were close calls with small boats. Are you planning on arrival and departures to be at night to lessen chances of conflict with lots of boaters out there?
Hi Richard, Thank you for the question. No matter what time of day an LNG carrier would transit Howe Sound, Woodfibre ... LNG will have a number of protocols in place to help ensure safety on the water, and on land. Should our project go ahead, an LNG carrier will transit Howe Sound on established shipping lanes about once every 10 days. Similar to what Squamish Terminals does now, we’ll also post the LNG carrier schedule on our website, so all boaters can know exactly what to expect. In addition, each LNG carrier will be piloted by two BC Coast Pilots who know our coast best, and will be escorted by at least three tug boats, which will help to spot small boats and ensure safe passage at all times. As for travelling only at night, we currently don’t have plans to restrict LNG carrier passage to day or night, but we have committed to implementing any recommendations that come out of Transport Canada’s TERMPOL review process. Learn more about TERMPOL here.Asked by Richard Powell River, Sunshine Coast
Other than ITA apprenticeship training, what can I do to ensure I surpass the expectations of Woodfibre LNG in regards to the skills and credentials required to be employed as a full time Millwright?
Hi Casey, Thank you for your question. It’s great to hear you are interested in working on our project. Woodfibre LNG will ... be constructed through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning (EPCIC) contractor. We have received the EPCIC proposals, and are currently evaluating the bids. Once a preferred EPCIC contractor is announced, we would encourage you to get in touch with them and discuss the skills you have to offer. For the latest information on our progress, please keep an eye on the Work With Us page of our website.Asked by Casey Canadian, Squamish
What percentage of the population is pro for this?
Hello and thank you for your question. We are listening closely to the community to hear what people have to ... say about our proposed Project. As part of that we have participated in three rounds of comprehensive public consultations. In addition to our formal consultation efforts, we also conducted some public opinion research in the summer of 2014. That research indicated that attracting new industries for jobs and tax base remained the most urgent improvement to improving the quality of life in Squamish, followed by improving job opportunities for young people. While 38% of surveyed residents (particularly new residents) viewed Squamish as a tourism town, most residents (59%) believed industry and tourism can co-exist.Asked by i wanna know, Squamish
Why are you not following most of the rules of having LNG like how much space on either side of the tankers there must be?
Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG is committed to keeping our waterways safe. That’s why we have volunteered to participate ... in – and follow the recommendations of – Transport Canada’s TERMPOL Review Committee, which includes Transport Canada, Pacific Pilotage Authority, BC Coast Pilots and the Canadian Coast Guard. Subject to this review, we have also committed to deploying at least three tugs in an escort pattern for each LNG carrier that comes to our site – at least one of which will be tethered – to provide a dynamic safety awareness zone for recreational and pleasure craft around the LNG carrier during its transit within Howe Sound. This dynamic safety awareness zone would extend up to 50 meters on either side of the vessel and up to 500 metres in front and, being dynamic in nature, would be transient with the movement of the LNG carrier. This arrangement of tugs also serves as an emergency provision to address contingencies that may require the vessel to stop or engage in manoeuvres at very short notice.Asked by anonamous, Squamish
Would you have any white collar jobs, or professional jobs? I work in the environmental field, maybe you have resource management jobs or research?
Hi there, Thanks for your interest in our proposed Project. The best way to hear about upcoming opportunities is to check ... out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions as soon as they become available.Asked by Anonymous, Squamish
Other than water and sand, what are the other chemicals used in fracking? Also why can’t all that water, sand and other chemicals be removed from the ground and recycled?
Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG is a proposed small scale natural gas liquefaction and export facility and is not ... an oil or gas extraction or production facility. Just like any other natural gas customer, including those in Squamish, Metro Vancouver, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, Woodfibre LNG will buy its natural gas from third party suppliers. This natural gas will be delivered to the Woodfibre site through an expanded FortisBC pipeline. We are happy to address the issue of hydraulic fracturing where we can, and we’re also happy to suggest other sources of information. A good starting point on chemical additives used in hydraulic fracturing is the BC Oil and Gas Commission, which regulates the practice. On its website you will find a list of the various additives and their uses. Other good sources of information include: This information sheet from the BC Oil and Gas Commission This video from the BC LNG Alliance “What do you know about Hydraulic Fracturing?”Asked by Gord Gunner, Squamish
Are you afraid to tell the public that no matter the opposition the plant will be built?
Hi Johnny, Thank you for submitting your comment to askwoodfibrelng.ca. We respectfully disagree with your assumption. Since our Project began ... in 2013, we have been listening to the community, hearing concerns and where we can, acting on its priorities. The Woodfibre LNG Project will only go ahead following regulatory approvals and a final investment decision. Our project is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment, which is a science based review of the project and includes a robust public consultation program. To learn more about this process, we encourage you to visit the Environmental Assessment Office web site.Asked by johnny c., Squamish
What powerlines will be upgraded to supply electricity to your plant? Through what neighbourhoods?
Hi Dan, Thanks for your questions. BC Hydro has developed three interconnection options (alternatives) for the Woodfibre LNG Project. Each ... option involves a temporary solution to provide power to Woodfibre LNG by March 2017, and a permanent solution to provide a full, redundant power supply at an undetermined date. For information on the three interconnection options, please visit the specific Woodfibre LNG and Fortis BC webpage on the BC Hydro website.Asked by Dan, Whistler & Pemberton
Who are the contractors for construction?
Hi Ryan, Thanks for your interest in Woodfibre LNG. Woodfibre LNG Limited will be constructed through an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation ... & Commissioning (EPCIC) contractor. We have received the EPCIC proposals, and are currently evaluating the bids. Once a preferred EPCIC contractor is established would be more than happy to release that information. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions.Asked by Ryan, Squamish
Will WLNG be making efforts to salvage, where possible, the creosote pilings removed?
Hello and thank you for your question. We need to take a closer look at the creosote piles during their ... removal to decide whether or not they can be recycled. Otherwise, we plan to dispose of the piles at a licensed facility.Asked by StEM, Squamish
How many LNG storage tanks will be on land? Please show the location on a map.
Hi Vel, Thank you for the question. Woodfibre LNG is proposing to store LNG in a floating storage and offloading unit ... or FSO. The FSO will be made up of two decommissioned LNG carriers, which meet the highest safety standards and have been retrofitted for this specific purpose.Asked by Vel, Sunshine Coast
How are you planning on getting the natural gas into liquid form?
Hi Adam, Great question. We take gas from the FortisBC pipeline and cool it to -162ºC, at which point the gas ... becomes a liquid. This process, called liquefaction, shrinks the volume of the gas by 600 times, making it easier to store and transport to markets around the world. It also means the gas does not need to be pressurized, which makes it very safe to transport.Asked by Adam, Squamish
How many jobs will this project open up for the community?
Thank you for your question. We expect to create about 650 jobs during each year of construction and 100 long-term ... jobs once the new facility is operational. We also expect to provide about $2 million in taxes every year to the District of Squamish for local priorities. We also know there are things we can be doing to help ensure locals get the most benefit from these jobs and contracts. That’s why we held a Business Information Session in Squamish in November 2014, where more than 100 local businesses and contractors came to hear what they could do to work on our Project. We also have an online Business Directory to help ensure local contractors and businesses have the latest information on upcoming contracts and opportunities. For more information, please visit our website.Asked by i wanna know, Squamish
Could you please tell me the length and width of the LNG tankers that are proposed to sail down Howe Sound? Also, could you please confirm if they are to be refueled in Vancouver?
Hi Angela, Thank you for your question. The LNG carriers that would come to our proposed Project are 295 metres long ... and 47 metres wide – about the same as a cruise ship. It’s also worth noting that LNG carriers are designed for the safe transport of LNG, including complex containment systems and double-hull protection. Each LNG carrier arriving at the Woodfibre LNG terminal will be escorted by at least three tugboats, one of which will be tethered, and piloted by two BC Coast Pilots who are experts on our coast. Woodfibre LNG Limited has no plans to have LNG carriers bunkering in English Bay or Howe Sound. The LNG carriers that would come to and from our proposed project will primarily use the boil off gas (methane) from the LNG they are transporting as fuel. This means these vessels will not bunker in English Bay or Howe Sound. While LNG carriers typically carry bunker fuel as a back-up fuel, the ships’ operators will arrange for bunkering elsewhere, likely at overseas facilities. For more information on LNG carrier safety, we’ve included a video from Stephen Brown, President and CEO of the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia.Asked by Angela Muellers, Squamish
What steps will Woodfibre LNG take to ensure foreign animal and plant species aren’t introduced to Howe Sound when ballast water is replaced while docked at Woodfibre?
Hi Michael, and thank you for your question. There are very strict rules in Canada governing ballast water that are ... in place specifically to ensure foreign plant and animal species are not introduced into areas like Howe Sound. The first are the Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations that are contained within the Canada Shipping Act. Those regulations say that if a vessel takes ballast onboard while outside Canadian waters, that ballast cannot be discharged anywhere within 200 nautical miles of shore. Those regulations also stipulate that, in addition to the 200-mile radius, the vessel must be in waters that are at least 2,000 metres deep before it can discharge such ballast. In addition to this, All LNG carriers will comply with international regulations (International Maritime Organization, MARPOL Annex IV and Annex V), and will be required to carry an International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate and Garbage Management Plan that prohibit the discharge of any wastewater or garbage within ports or offshore terminals. If you want to read more on the rules that apply, you can visit the federal government’s Guide to Canada’s Ballast Water Control and Management Regulations.Asked by Michael Adelor Caines, Prefer to not disclose
The flare will burn +-3% of the time. This equates to anywhere from 11 full days a year to 3-4 hours per day for 365 days. Flares are very noisy, what impacts do you see on the community?
Thanks for the question David. The flare is a safety feature to relieve pressure and prevent accumulations of natural gas. ... Normally, it is only used at specific times, such as start up, testing and during routine maintenance. We believe flaring will be used less than 3 per cent of the time. At Woodfibre LNG, we are conscious of being a good neighbour. To reduce impacts, we will schedule flaring for daylight hours whenever possible. When it comes to noise, we assessed flaring as part of the overall effects our project would have. Based on our studies, during construction, our entire Project may result in a perceptible increase in noise at Watts Point, but is unlikely to result in a perceptible change at Britannia Beach or Darrell Bay. During regular operation, increases in noise are not likely to be perceptible in any of these locations. When it comes to light, we expect the flare could present a temporary and intermittent effect during Project operation. Studies on our project have shown that light the emitted from our Project may be visible from parts of Squamish and Darrell Bay, which have unobstructed views of the Project site. We hope this helps. If you have more questions about the flare, or any other part of the project, please do not hesitate to ask.Asked by David Gonzalez, Squamish
Have you communicated the fact that a leak of 300m3 per minute of LNG will cause an explosion equivalent to 1800 KG of TNT?
Hi Phil – thanks for the question. LNG carriers, like other large commercial ships, carry a large amount of stored ... energy; however, the physical characteristics of LNG are very different from an explosion or bomb. An explosion is a sudden and violent release of energy, with the level of violence dependent on the rate at which the energy is released. Explosives/bombs are designed to be destructive and to take place in a very short period of time, usually seconds. In the unlikely event of a release, LNG would turn back into a gas and dissipate into the air. For an explosion to occur, many things would have to happen at the same time: The LNG would have to warm to a gas state The gas would have to be contained in a confined space The ratio between gas and air must be within a very specific range (5% – 15%) There must be a spark present. LNG carriers and facilities are specifically designed, operated and maintained to ensure safe operation and prevent these conditions from happening.Asked by Phil Folkersen, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
What level of training is required for jobs on site? What is the average salary?
Thank you for the questions. Woodfibre LNG will create about 100+ long-term jobs during operation, and the average compensation is ... expected to be about $100,000 per year (direct salary plus an additional 25-30% for medical, sick leave, vacation and any other benefits). Woodfibre LNG anticipates that about half of the more than 100 jobs at the Woodfibre site will be related to the liquefaction plant and supporting utility operations. As part of our hiring strategy, we expect to recruit workers with experience in related industries, and then develop and train them to an international competency standard, which is recognized in the LNG industry. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions.Asked by disgruntled, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How many additional fracked wells will result from this project?
Thank you for the question. Woodfibre LNG Limited is not engaged in oil or gas extraction or production activities. The ... gas delivered to the Project site will be supplied to the Project from western Canadian market hubs through an expansion of the existing gas transmission system by FortisBC. It’s also the same gas that is supplied to Squamish, Metro Vancouver, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island through the Fortis BC pipeline system. Natural gas liquefied in the Woodfibre LNG facilities will be produced and processed primarily in the northeastern region of BC, but may also originate from other wells connected to the Western Canadian Gas Transmission System. For more information about natural gas extraction, please visit: https://www.capp.ca/Asked by disgruntled, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Why do you insist on forcing your way into a town where you are not obviously not wanted or welcomed? Do you not care about its residents?
Hi Darren, We respectfully disagree with you on this, but we do appreciate your question. So thanks for posting it ... to our site. At Woodfibre LNG Limited, we believe the Woodfibre site is the right fit for LNG. It is zoned for industrial use and has seen industry on the site for more than 100 years; it has a deepwater port; it has access to established shipping routes; and it has access to both a FortisBC pipeline and the BC Hydro transmission grid. We are also of the view that tourism and industry can work together to create responsible economic development in Squamish. Since 2013, we’ve been working closely with the community to ensure our Project is the right fit for Squamish, and for B.C. As a result, Woodfibre LNG has made meaningful changes to the Project. For example, in response to concerns about the possibility that the LNG facility would run on a gas turbine, Woodfibre LNG committed to powering the plant using electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent, and will help make Woodfibre one of the cleanest LNG plants in the world.Asked by Darren Garbutt, British Columbia
When are you making a presentation in Gibsons? This was discussed at Gambier Island meeting.
Hello, First off, thank you for attending our session on Gambier Island in March. We found that to be an ... excellent meeting with lots of good questions and discussion. At this point in time, we have no formal meetings scheduled for Gibsons. But there are a number of ways for members of the public to connect with us about our Project. We have our Squamish Community Office at 38134 Cleveland Avenue, PO Box 280, Squamish, BC V8B 0A3. You can give us a call 1.888.801.7929, send us an email at info@woodfibrelng.ca, or visit our website. Plus – we have our Q&A website www.askwoodfibrelng.ca If you have any other questions for our team, please let us know and we’d be more than happy to respond. And thanks for your question.Asked by olympics2010@ymail.com, Sunshine Coast
What will happen to the effluent discharged from the old mill site? Does the public know about this?
Thank you for the question Eric. Currently, there are two main sources of discharges associated with the Woodfibre site: treated ... wastewater and treated leachate from the onsite landfill. This is done in accordance with Ministry of Environment permits. There are no discharges associated with pulp mill operation as the Woodfibre pulp mill ceased operations and most pulp mill equipment was removed from the site between 2006 and 2007.Asked by Eric, Squamish
Access to the back country was always available to hikers, hunters and tourists. Will it still be available?
Hi Eric, You are right, there are great trails and recreational opportunities behind the Woodfibre site and we hope to ... find a way for people to access them safely. As part of our planning, we will be developing and implementing an Access Management Plan to address the recreational backcountry opportunities. This approach will hopefully allow us to strike a proper balance between public access to the backcountry and the safety and security of not only the public, but also of Woodfibre LNG staff and of our facilities.Asked by Eric, Squamish
What is going to happen to the toxic waste dump site behind the mill?
Hi Eric, Thanks for your question. A fair bit of work has already taken place to clean the Woodfibre site and ... bring it to the industrial standards of today. This includes the remediation of contaminated upland soils and the closure of a historical on-site asbestos disposal area, among other things. This work has all been completed and reviewed by the BC Ministry of the Environment, which issued related Certificates of Compliance prior to the sale of the site to Woodfibre LNG. We’ve also committed to closing the existing on site landfill following construction of the facility. You may be interested in knowing that we have also committed to removing approximately 3,000 creosote-coated piles from the waterfront in the Project area and creating a Green Zone around Mill Creek. This work will be carried out in partnership with the local Streamkeepers society and other relevant groups, so that local conservation and restoration targets can be met.Asked by Eric, Squamish
What ticket would operations staff need (example 3rd class power engineer) and how many operators do you expect to employ?
Hi Wayne, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG anticipates that about half of the more than 100 jobs at the ... Woodfibre site will be related to the liquefaction plant and supporting utility operations. If our project goes ahead, as part of our hiring strategy, we expect to recruit workers with experience in related industries, and then develop and train them to an international competency standard, which is recognized in the LNG industry. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions.Asked by Wayne, Canada
Do you have experienced LNG technicians to run and maintain the site and systems? What manufacturers products are planned to be used? Chart? Cryostar? CVA? ACD? And are you looking for technicians?
Hi Corey, Thanks for your interest in Woodfibre LNG. If our Project is approved and built, Woodfibre LNG will require a ... variety of workers in skilled positions to operate our facility. This includes experienced LNG technicians. We have engaged with Linde as our LNG technology provider; however, it is still too early to determine what manufacturer products we might use for our Project. This will be decided when we have finalized our detailed design. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions.Asked by Corey, Vancouver and surrounding areas
When will you get the show on the road? Need a chemist? I would love to be part of the diverse and skilled workforce that this project will require.
Great question. We are currently in the Environmental Assessment Certificate Application process. We likely won’t know if we have approval ... until late summer/ early fall 2015. Having said that, if Woodfibre LNG does get regulatory approval, and a final investment decision is made, construction on the project could begin by the end of 2015. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our Project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions. Thanks again for your question.Asked by CP, British Columbia
Why won’t you have public meetings to answer questions?
Thanks for your question. Because we know how important it is to hear from the public, we have been meeting ... many people throughout the community to discuss a range of issues relating to our proposed Project. Since late 2013, we have participated in seven Open Houses that were attended by more than 870 people and 10 small group meetings involving more than 200 people in communities like Squamish, Britannia Beach, Whistler, West Vancouver, Furry Creek, and Bowen Island. We’ve also attended more than 310 stakeholder meetings; held two telephone town halls; and, hosted two Business Information Sessions in Squamish for those interested in working on our project. In addition, on March 21, 2015, Woodfibre LNG, in cooperation with the Sunshine Coast Regional District and Gambier Island Local Trust Committee, hosted a Roundtable Discussion on Gambier Island. Thanks to the public’s thoughtful questions and comments, we’ve been able to make important improvements to our Project. For example, after hearing concerns about air quality, we committed to powering our plant with electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent and will make Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG plants in the world. We’ve also been listening on how we can be a good neighbour, not only to local businesses and residents, but to wildlife as well. The conversation is far from over, and we want to keep talking to people in the community and responding to your concerns. In fact, that’s exactly why we launched this new interactive site, to ensure people can reach Project experts directly and get timely answers to your questions.Asked by Fracking is bad, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Is there a viable alternative to the once through cooling system that will not negatively impact the waters around WLNG?
Hi Peter, Thank you for your question. We think you may be interested in this answer that was posted ... heard concerns in the community about seawater cooling. Why is Woodfibre planning to use this method of cooling?" href="https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/ive-heard-concerns-in-the-community-about-seawater-cooling-why-is-woodfibre-planning-to-use-this-method-of-cooling/">earlier. There are other alternative methods for cooling, which include air cooling and wet surface air coolers. After doing many studies, we believe seawater cooling is the right choice for our Project because it is very efficient, and produces less noise and visual effects than air cooling. Seawater cooling is also a safe and common way to regulate temperature, especially in the LNG industry. At Woodfibre, we are designing our seawater cooling system to minimize the potential effects on water quality and on marine life. This includes meeting Canadian legislation (e.g. Fisheries Act) and Fisheries and Ocean’s Canada best management practices. The chart below contains detailed information about the proposed system.Asked by Peter Parsonage, Squamish
Will my electrical bill go up due to your company’s need for the Site C hydro project to liquify the natural gas?
Thanks for your question Dan. Woodfibre LNG is not involved in the Site C project, nor is Site C required ... in order to fulfill our individual energy needs so your electrical bill will not go up as a result of our project. You can find out more information about the Site C at the BC Hydro website. With regard to the amount of energy Woodfibre will need during its operation phase, the project will have an operating power requirement of approximately 140 megawatts under normal conditions and 185 megawatts under peak loading. Woodfibre chose to power our plant using electricity from BC Hydro after hearing concerns about the additional emissions that would have come from using natural gas to power the plant. By choosing electricity, we will reduce our potential greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent.Asked by Dan, Whistler & Pemberton
Why has Woodfibre LNG chosen a site that directly contravenes in several ways the siting standards of SIGTTO (the world authority on LNG terminal siting standards), and why is this being allowed?
**UPDATE** (June 5, 2015)- Woodfibre LNG has been granted an associate membership to SIGTTO. Associate Members have all the ... rights of a full member except for voting rights at the Annual General Meeting. To become a full member of SIGTTO, a company must have equity interest in, or operate, an LNG carrier or terminal. If the Project is approved, and pending a final investment decision, Woodfibre LNG intends to become a full member. Hi Lisa, Thank you for your question. Siting of the Woodfibre LNG facility complies in every way with the Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd.’s (SIGTTO) guidance as the location of the site is not within a narrow waterway as defined by SIGTTO. The width of Howe Sound at the proposed Woodfibre LNG terminal is 5.2 km or 17,060 feet. Even at its narrowest point, the proposed route for LNG vessels is 1.44 kms wide, and it is not considered a narrow waterway. TERMPOL specifies a body of navigable water of width four times the vessel’s beam to be a one-way narrow channel, and seven times the beam to be a two-way narrow channel. SIGTTO specifies a body of navigable water of width five times the vessel’s beam to be a one-way narrow channel. So, for a characteristic 45 metre beam LNG carrier calling at the proposed Woodfibre LNG Terminal, this would imply a width of 180 meters for a one-way narrow channel and 315 metres for a two-way narrow channel. The US 5th Circuit court in its judgments has specified that under Rule 9 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and the U.S. Inland Navigation Rules, a “narrow channel” to be 1,000 feet (305 metres) while other court judgments have considered any body of water with width less than 1,060% the beam of the vessel, which would be 488 metres to be a narrow channel. The width of Howe Sound at the proposed Woodfibre LNG terminal is 5.2 km or 17,060 feet with nearest distance to Darrell Bay being 2.7km or 8,858 feet and 60 meters deep with no large vessel movements within 2.7 km or 8,858 feet. SIGTTO’s guidance principles also recommend turning circles to have a minimum diameter of twice the overall length of the largest LNG carrier (i.e. 600m) and TERMPOL requires turning circle of 2.5 times the length which equates to 750 m.Asked by Lisa Kathleen, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
How is the natural gas “safely produced in north eastern BC for generations”?
Hi Dan, Thanks for the question. Just to clarify, Woodfibre LNG is not directly involved in the extraction of natural gas. ... Instead, we plan to purchase natural gas in the open market and it will be delivered to the Woodfibre LNG Project site through an expanded FortisBC pipeline. That said, we do believe that in B.C., natural gas is being produced safely. The exploration, production, process transmission of natural gas within the province is regulated by the Oil and Gas Commission. The Commission is responsible for ensuring public safety, protecting the environment, conserving petroleum resources and ensuring equitable participation in production. The BC LNG Alliance has some good resources that explain various elements of the process. This one is a helpful look at extraction and hydraulic fracturing. Another good resource is CAPP’s Digging Deeper: Get the Facts on Natural Gas website.Asked by Dan, Whistler & Pemberton
What would be the additional cost per CNG tonne of using closed circuit cooling towers instead of seawater to cool the compressed gas?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Thank you for your question. Just to clarify, at Woodfibre LNG, we are proposing to make Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and not Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). As with any refrigeration system, heat of compression must be removed from the system in order to make the process work and improve the efficiency. As part of our early design work, we asked WorleyParsons (2013) to conduct a study on suitable types of cooling medium options available to the Woodfibre LNG Project. During the course of the study the following cooling medium options were investigated; Air Coolers Evaporative Coolers (including cooling towers, wetted surface air coolers and hybrid wet / dry wetted surface air coolers) Fresh Water Cooling from local streams Seawater cooling from Howe Sound In selecting a preferred cooling method, Woodfibre LNG considered environmental effects, regulatory issues, and capital and operating cost considerations (e.g. maintenance, reliability, energy efficiency). Woodfibre LNG’s selection of a seawater cooling medium was amongst the most expensive options studied, and was chosen based on the following; Most efficient medium and consistent temperature Least amount of visual impact Least amount of noise impact Least amount of footprint (approximately 100m2 of required area for seawater cooling versus 1000m2 of required area for cooling towers and over 2000m2 for air coolers) Cooling towers also require the addition of water treatment chemicals to avoid scaling, biofouling and corrosion and also require mitigation against Legionellosis (Legionnaires Disease). A summary of the results of the study on cooling mediums can be found in our Environmental Assessment Certificate application in 2.4.6 Alternative Cooling Technologies. You’ll note that it does not include costs as that is not public information at this time. To learn more about our proposed seawater cooling system, please see our seawater cooling information sheet.Asked by 12phil34, British Columbia
Will LNG carriers run on bunker fuel? How much will they carry on board?
Hi Doug, Thank you for the question. The LNG carriers that would come to and from our proposed project will primarily ... use the boil off gas (methane) from the LNG they are transporting as fuel. LNG carriers typically carry bunker fuel as a back-up fuel. For example, when an LNG carrier is required to offload all of its available LNG before it heads into drydock for scheduled maintenance, it would use bunker fuel. A typical LNG carrier will carry about 2,000 to 3,000 tonnes of bunker fuel, or enough for about 16 to 24 days of travel. It is important to note that all LNG carriers incorporate leading safety measures such as complex containment systems and double-hull protection. Carriers are also heavily regulated by international and federal standards.Asked by Doug Race, Squamish
What studies have been done on the increase of ocean temperature by using sea water as a coolant? And also that the water will be chlorinated?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Thanks for getting in touch Don. The Woodfibre Project team has taken a very close look at the potential effects of using a seawater cooling system. Our proposal will not cause a negative effect on ocean temperatures. Within 10 metres of the seawater diffuser, water temperatures will be just 1°C above the ambient temperature. The specific studies undertaken to reach this conclusion can be found in Section 5.10 of our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application. We also wanted to address your question regarding chlorination. To prevent clogging of the seawater cooling system intake lines, a bio-fouling agent such as sodium hypochlorite may be required. Prior to discharge, the seawater will pass through a de-aeration tank and, if required, a de-chlorination agent will be added to the water so the concentration of residual chlorine will meet or exceed the Canadian water quality guideline. Finally, we wanted to make sure you have seen the information sheet we put together on our proposed seawater cooling system.Asked by Don, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Why is the LNG plant being built so close to a dense population? If it were to explode (leak,lightening strike, terrorist act, ect) Squamish residents and area would cease to exist.
Thanks for the question. LNG facilities are very safe and it is not uncommon for them to be located near ... major population centres. For example, there are LNG facilities located in Tokyo Bay, Boston Harbor and Barcelona. Closer to home, LNG has been produced on Tilbury Island in Delta since 1971. Woodfibre’s proposed site is seven kilometers away from downtown Squamish and the Project is being designed to meet extremely high safety standards. As just one example, the Woodfibre LNG Project is being designed for a one in a 2,475-year earthquake. We are also planning to make ground improvements at the site to address the potential for liquefaction. And that’s just one aspect of our robust safety plan. Other measures include state-of-the-art alarms, control and monitoring systems, containment systems and fire and leak detection systems. All of this will be backstopped by vigorous maintenance programs, emergency response plans, employee training and state of art equipment. At Woodfibre, we are designing a facility that will not only safe, but also right for the community.Asked by Oliandra, Squamish
Once built, will the workforce be 100% Canadian? Will jobs and transportation be available for workers on the Sunshine Coast?
We’ve answered a similar question before, so you might like to see our full answer from a previous ... post. What you might be looking for specifically is: Woodfibre LNG is committed to hiring locally first, whenever we can. That’s why we’re encouraging business owners and potential employees interested in our Project to visit the Work With Us page on our website for more information. However, given that LNG export facilities are new to British Columbia and Canada, we do anticipate that about 14% of our construction workforce will be made up of international experts with unique skills that are not available in Canada. You also asked about transportation. At this point, we don’t have plans to provide transportation from the Sunshine Coast to the Woodfibre site, but we are considering the use of employee buses and vans from designated locations in Metro Vancouver and Squamish to decrease the number of cars on the road at shift change. Construction and operation workers would then access the Woodfibre site by private passenger ferry, which would be provided by Woodfibre LNG.Asked by Cole, Sunshine Coast
What companies will be involved in site excavation?
Hi T.C., Thanks for the question. Woodfibre LNG is committed to hiring locally and contracting with local businesses, whenever possible. This ... includes site excavation. If you are a qualified contractor, we’d encourage you to sign up in our online Business Directory, so you are always aware of any upcoming opportunities. For more information, please visit our website.Asked by T.C., Squamish
How long till I can start working there ?
Great question! We currently have about eight people working in Squamish (Community Office and at the Woodfibre site), and are ... contracting services like graphic design, printing, water taxi and environmental consulting with businesses that are based in Squamish and/or have employees who call Squamish home. Based on the current project schedule – which is subject to environmental approvals and a final investment decision – we anticipate construction on our project to begin in 2015. To hear about upcoming opportunities on our project, please make sure you check out the Work With Us section of our website, where we will post any open positions. Thanks again for your question.Asked by Seanyboy359, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Okay, I’ve read the website quite thoroughly but I don’t see what the actual chemical process is at the site. Does the site convert Crude Oil to LNG or is there some other process?
Thanks for the question. Just to clarify, our project has nothing to do with crude oil, but instead involves natural ... gas. We will take that gas from the FortisBC pipeline, meaning it is the exact same product that people use in their homes to run their gas furnaces and fuel their gas fireplaces and gas stoves. Our proposed project will cool this gas until it becomes a liquid. And once in liquid form, the LNG can safely be put onto a ship and exported to overseas markets. The following infographic helps to explain all of the steps: If you’d like more information about LNG in general, the BC LNG Alliance has a great fact sheet, which you can find here. We hope this answers your question. If not, feel free to ask a follow-up and we would be happy to respond.Asked by T Prior - Garibaldi, Squamish
What jobs will construction require?
Hi T.C., Thanks for your interest. If our Project is approved, the construction phase will about last two years, and we ... will create 650+ jobs at the peak of construction. Some of the jobs required for the project include site preparation, earthworks, utilities, piping, foundations, floating storage and offloading unit jetty, marine offloading facility, ferry jetty, and buildings. For more details, you can go to Section 6.2 Labour Market Assessment of our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application. Also, if you are interested in employment or contracting opportunities, we recommend the Work With Us section of our website where anyone can sign up in our Business Database or check for current job postings.Asked by T.C., Squamish
You did not answer my question regarding the finite, unsustainable nature of oil and gas. Why not support sustainable energy sources?
Hi again Andrew, We’re sorry you didn’t feel our last response answered your question. We’re happy to explore this area ... further. Natural gas is indeed a fossil fuel, but it is the cleanest burning of all that are available. For that reason, many overseas countries are looking to natural gas as a transitional fuel that will help them to move away from coal powered electricity generation. You may be interested in this recent piece, which was published in The Vancouver Sun by Elizabeth and Richard Muller, who founded the non-profit Berkeley Earth to study global warming and climate change. That piece can be found here. We hope this answers your question.Asked by Andrew Erdely, Squamish
What emissions and vapours will the LNG plant produce and how much of each per annum?
Hi David, Thanks for sending us your question. We’ve received a similar question about emissions on the AskWoodfibreLNG.ca site before. You ... can see our answer to that question here. If it’s helpful though, here’s the information you’re probably most interested in: When it comes to air emissions, we listened to the community and made an important commitment early in the process to power our facility with electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent, making Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. At peak capacity, the Project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG, which is well below the threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act.Asked by David Gonzalez, Squamish
Why don’t you mention fracking anywhere on this website?
Hi Aaron, Thanks for your question. Woodfibre LNG is a proposed small scale natural gas liquefaction and export facility and is ... not an oil or gas extraction or production facility. Just like any other natural gas customer, including those in Squamish, Metro Vancouver, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, Woodfibre LNG will buy its natural gas from third party suppliers. This natural gas will be delivered to the Woodfibre site through an expanded FortisBC pipeline. We are happy to address the issue of hydraulic fracturing where we can, and we’re also happy to suggest other sources of information. A good starting point is the video from the BC LNG Alliance which you'll see below. Here are some other resources you may find useful: BC Oil and Gas Commission: Defining Hydraulic Fracturing Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers: Natural Gas Development [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqgWkIHrQQ[/embed]Asked by Aaron, Squamish
How much CO2 will be added to the Sea to Sky airshed?
Thanks for your question. If approved, Woodfibre LNG will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro, making ours one of ... the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. Though that will reduce our potential Greenhouse Gas emissions by 80 per cent, there will still be emissions coming from our project. The majority of those will come from elements that we will remove from the natural gas prior to liquefaction, and then incinerate. In its environmental regulations, the provincial government has set out standards that all LNG facilities must meet, and we are proud to say our plant will always do better. At peak capacity, our project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG; in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, government has set a threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG. More detailed information is available in the application we submitted for our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.Asked by disgruntled, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Where do all the chemicals from fracking go?
Hi Aaron, Woodfibre LNG is not directly involved in any hydraulic fracturing (fracking), or the extraction of natural gas. Instead, ... we plan to purchase natural gas that will be supplied through an expanded pipeline from FortisBC. There are good resources available online that explain the upstream process, however, including this one from the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission entitled Hydraulic Fracturing and Disposal of Fluids. That can be found here.Asked by Aaron, Squamish
From where does the source material that will be converted to LNG come from?
Hi Paul, Thanks for the question. Natural gas will be distributed to the facility from Western Canadian market hubs through the ... expansion of an existing gas transmission system being completed by FortisBC. The FortisBC pipeline already delivers natural gas to homes and businesses in Squamish, Metro Vancouver , the Sunshine Coast, and Vancouver Island. If you’d like to know more about the LNG process, we recommend viewing this video from the BC LNG Alliance. [embed]https://youtu.be/mQrR_6ITeVk[/embed]Asked by Paul B, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How many temporary foreign workers will be hired?
Thank you for your question. We’ve answered a similar question before, so you might like to ... be any temporary foreign workers brought over to build this plant." href="https://askwoodfibrelng.ca/will-there-be-any-temporary-foreign-workers-brought-over-to-build-this-plant/">see our full answer from a previous post. In short, Woodfibre LNG is committed to hiring locally first, whenever we can. That’s why we’re encouraging business owners and potential employees interested in our Project to visit the Work With Us page on our website for more information. However, given that LNG export facilities are new to British Columbia and Canada, we do anticipate that about 14% of our construction workforce will be made up of international experts with unique skills that are not available in Canada.Asked by disgruntled, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Does Woodfibre LNG believe that the burning of fossil fuels is causing climate change?
Hi David, Thank you for your question. From the very beginning, Woodfibre LNG has been committed to listening to the community, ... and building a project that is right for Squamish and right for BC – and this includes environmental stewardship. By exporting natural gas – the cleanest burning fossil fuel available – we are helping other places in the world reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, an independent study commissioned by CLNG and performed by Pace Global Energy Services found that by replacing just one 500 Megawatt coal-fired power plant with natural gas fueled power generation for one year, equates to taking 557,000 cars off the roads. We have also made an important decision to address emissions here at home by committing to power our proposed plant, should it be built, with electricity from BC Hydro. By using electricity to power the plant, we will reduce GHG’s by approximately 80 per cent and other air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (smog) 90 per cent. For another perspective on global warming and climate change, you may want to read a recent piece published in The Vancouver Sun by Elizabeth and Richard Muller, who founded the non-profit Berkeley Earth to study global warming and climate change.Asked by David, Other
MP John Weston mentioned on CBC morning show this week the project had been moved onto land – are the two floating storage terminals still on the water?
Hi Ruth, Thank you for the question. The floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) is still part of our proposed project. ... Mr. Weston was likely referring to the June 2014 announcement to move the proposed floating liquefaction plant, onto land.Asked by Ruth Simons, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
I know Woodfibre will run on electricity, but there will still be emissions coming from the process. What are those?
If approved, Woodfibre will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro, significantly reducing potential emissions and making ours one ... of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. But you are right, there will still be emissions coming from our project. The majority of those emissions will come from elements that we will remove from the natural gas prior to liquefaction, and then incinerate. In its environmental regulations, the provincial government has set out standards that all LNG facilities must meet, and our plant will always do better. At peak capacity, our project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG; in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act, government has set a threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG. In addition, the air dispersion modelling we did as part of our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application showed that all predicted concentrations were below the air quality criteria.Asked by Elliot Moses, Squamish
Contaminated mud has been dredged from the foreshore of the Woodfibre site and moved to a landfill on the site. How will you ensure the toxins don’t leach back into the ocean?
The Woodfibre site has been home to industrial activity since the early 1900’s. When Woodfibre LNG purchased the property, ... we earmarked millions of dollars for the site to be cleaned-up to the industrial standards of today. As part of this cleanup process, contaminated upland soils were remediated and the historical on-site asbestos disposal area was closed. To improve fish habitat off the Woodfibre site, approximately 4,900 m3 (490 dump truck loads) of historic wood waste was also removed from Howe Sound. This wood waste was used as structural fill in the onsite landfill. The landfill on the Woodfibre property is a permitted landfill with a leachate treatment system. You may also be interested to know that Woodfibre has committed to further remediation of the site, including the safe removal of about 3,000 creosote-coated piles from the site’s waterfront.Asked by Elliot Moses, Squamish
How much will Woodfibre actually pay in property taxes to the District of Squamish?
Woodfibre LNG Limited took ownership of the site this February, so we are already contributing to the District of ... Squamish’s tax revenue. Should our project go ahead, we expect to pay at least $2 million per year during operation. We will contribute in many other ways as well. For example, should the project go ahead, we will pay: $83.7 MILLION: Estimated in tax revenue for all three levels of government during the construction phase of the Project. $86.5 MILLION: Estimated in tax revenue for all three levels of government per year of operation. $243.3 MILLION: Estimated to the District of Squamish, Resort Municipality of Whistler, Electoral Area D of Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Squamish First Nation communities, and Metro Vancouver gross domestic product (GDP) during construction and more than $122.8 MILLION in GDP per year during operation. For more information see Section 2.6 Project Benefits of Woodfibre LNG’s Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.Asked by Elliot Moses, Squamish
How will the return of industry to Howe Sound affect our local tourism industry, especially if Woodfibre emits any acrid sulphurous odours?
Thanks for the question. We strongly believe that tourism and industry can co-exist in Squamish – a point we think ... was made best by Jared Sissons at the Executive Suites Hotel in a recent article in The Chief. “Take a look at Stanley Park, for example, and look out on English Bay,” he said in an interview with editor Christine Endicott. “You see 14 or 15 tankers and it has no effect on Stanley Park. It’s important to have industry in a community because it creates jobs and it creates tourism dollars as well.” In your question, you also asked about odours. Woodfibre will not emit any smells or odours beyond the boundaries of our site. And you don’t have to take our word for it. The Oil and Gas Commission has strong regulations to ensure this is always the case.Asked by Elliot Moses, Squamish
Where will the LNG carriers be re-fuelled? Will you have to ship bunker fuel into Howe Sound on barges?
Thanks for the question. No, LNG carriers will not refuel at the proposed Woodfibre site, or anywhere else in Howe ... Sound. As a result, we will not be transporting bunker fuel via barge. Instead, LNG carrier operators will determine a suitable and safe refueling location or anchorage for their LNG carriers subject to fuel availability and local regulations (e.g., in the Far East).Asked by Elliot Moses, Squamish
For many months of the year (especially summer) there is a strong onshore wind through town – exactly what emissions would the WLNG flare produce and what could be their impacts on human health?
Thanks for your question Jerry. Woodfibre will not use the flare on a regular basis, but instead on only rare ... occasions such as: testing and start-up when the plant first comes into operation; in some cases for routine maintenance; and following an unscheduled event like a significant power loss or emergency. In fact, the plant will be flaring less than 3 per cent of the time. With regard to the potential impact on human health, we’ve conducted a detailed risk assessment that quantifies potential health risks associated with the Project, such as air emissions. That assessment shows that the Project will have negligible or not significant residual effects to human health. For more information, see Section 5.2 Atmospheric Environment (Air Quality) and Section 5.3 Greenhouse Gas Management of our Environmental Assessment Certificate application.Asked by Jerry Carlson, Squamish
How can you support an unsustainable, dirty energy source? Oil and gas are finite resources while solar, wind and tidal energy will be available for eons and are cleaner and less harmful.
Thanks for the question. At Woodfibre, we believe Natural Gas – the cleanest burning fossil fuel – is the best ... and most reliable way to help transition away from high-emission fuels such as coal. This is particularly true in energy-hungry Asian markets, where Woodfibre LNG plans to sell our product. In fact, replacing just one 500 Megawatt coal-fired power plant with natural gas fueled power generation for one year, equates to taking 557,000 cars off the roads. To learn more, you can watch the following video from the BC LNG AllianceAsked by Andrew Erdely, Squamish
What is Woodfibre LNG’s opinion on human caused climate change?
Hi David, Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG is concerned about climate change and is working hard to be ... part of the solution – that includes doing our part to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both here and abroad. At home, we made an important decision to power our plant with electricity from BC Hydro instead of burning natural gas. Using electricity for the main refrigerant compressors will reduce GHG’s by approximately 80 per cent and other air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (smog) 90 per cent. Merran Smith, director of Clean Energy Canada, said the following about that decision: Woodfibre LNG intends to link its facility directly to the BC Hydro grid, which delivers 92-per-cent clean and renewable electricity. As a result, at least from a carbon-pollution perspective, its LNG would indeed beat the global gold standard for carbon pollution. By exporting British Columbia’s natural gas, we are also helping to reduce emissions overseas. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel and is being used in many places in the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by replacing other fossil fuels. In fact, replacing just one 500 Megawatt coal-fired power plant with natural gas fueled power generation for one year, equates to taking 557,000 cars off the roads. You can find more information in our first Project newsletter.Asked by David, Other
What contingencies are in place for containing the LNG and preventing an explosion, in the event of a major earthquake, given the seismic activity of the West Coast region?
Hi Jerry, At Woodfibre LNG, safety is our number one priority. This includes designing and building a facility that prevents ... or reduces the potential effects of geotechnical and natural hazards. For example, the Woodfibre LNG Project is being designed for a one in a 2,475-year earthquake. We are also planning to make ground improvements at the site to address the potential for liquefaction. If it is built, our Project will also have several features that can ensure safe operation, or safe shutdown, in the case of an emergency. These include: a state-of-the-art alarm, control and monitoring systems, primary and secondary containment systems, fire and leak detection systems in LNG tanks, robust maintenance programs, and emergency response plans, equipment and training.Asked by Jerry Carlson, Squamish
Will the LNG site be open for tours when completed? Will the public be able to access the trails and lakes above the site for recreation?
Hi Beth, You’re right, there are great trails and recreational opportunities behind the Woodfibre LNG site and we hope to ... find a way for people to access them safely. Woodfibre LNG will be developing and implementing an Access Management Plan to address the recreational backcountry opportunities while also ensuring safety and security of the public and Woodfibre LNG staff and facilities. As for site tours, it’s something we definitely get asked about, and while we are not quite ready to do that now (we just took over the site in February 2015), we hope to offer tours in the future.Asked by Beth Walton Fitzpatrick, Other
Will this project be built with Union Labour? And I don’t mean CLAC. You said it would be built with local people. That would be the United Association as far as the pipeline is concerned.
Thank you for your questions. Our plan is to have the Woodfibre LNG Project built by a general contractor, and ... we will work with the general contractor to ensure it respects and adheres to all applicable labour laws and makes every reasonable effort to maximize the use of qualified local labour. In terms of pipeline jobs, construction and operation of the Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas pipeline, would be done through FortisBC. To learn more, please visit the Eagle Mountain - Woodfibre Gas pipeline project planning website.Asked by Pipeline welder, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Will there be any temporary foreign workers brought over to build this plant?
Thank you for your question. Woodfibre LNG is working closely with the community to ensure we hire a quality local ... workforce and contract local businesses and suppliers, whenever we can. If Woodfibre LNG is approved, our Project will create more than 650 direct jobs at the peak of construction, and an additional 1,080 + jobs (indirect and induced employment) during the construction phase of the project. Based on the information we gathered for our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application, we anticipate sourcing the majority – approximately 60 per cent – of direct construction employment from the local labour force. That’s the area stretching from Metro Vancouver to Whistler. Given that LNG export facilities are new to British Columbia and Canada, we anticipate that about 14% of the construction workforce will be made up of international workers with unique skills that are not available in Canada. But again, we do want to hire locally first whenever we can so if you own a business, or want to work on our Project, we’d encourage you to visit the Work With Us page on our website for more information.Asked by concernedlocaloilpatchfitter, Sunshine Coast
Will there be a opportunity for local vendors to supply products at the project level? If so, how do we get involved?
Thanks for your question Rick. Woodfibre LNG is committed to ensuring that individuals and businesses from Squamish and the surrounding ... communities are aware of potential job and business opportunities. That’s why we’ve developed our online Business Directory where local businesses and contractors can register to ensure they have the latest information on upcoming contracts and opportunities. It’s also a great way for us to learn more about the services offered by local businesses and contractors. Please visit the Business Directory to register, and to receive email updates about potential business opportunities as they arise, as well as notifications about upcoming events.Asked by WEG Canada, British Columbia
I heard the LNG carriers will travel through Collingwood Channel west of Bowen Island. Is that true?
Thank you for the question. If the Woodfibre LNG Project goes ahead, LNG carriers – three to four per month, ... accompanied by at least three tugboats and piloted by two BC Coast Pilots – will transit Howe Sound on the existing shipping route through Queen Charlotte Channel east of Bowen Island. The carriers will then pass Gambier Island and Anvil Island as they travel to the Woodfibre LNG terminal. Each carrier will take a similar route in reverse to leave Howe Sound. As this is our intended route, it is under close examination as part of Transport Canada’s TERMPOL review process. We have committed to carrying out recommendations from that process. The reason you may be hearing about a second route on the other side of Bowen Island is because Woodfibre LNG Limited was required, as part of the Environmental Assessment process, in 2013, to identify an alternative route for LNG carriers. As part of that requirement, we looked at having carriers transit through Collingwood Channel west of Bowen Island. As you will see in Section 2.4.2 Alternative Shipping Routes within Howe Sound of Woodfibre LNG’s Environmental Assessment Certificate Application, this alternate route is no longer under consideration. If the Woodfibre LNG Project goes ahead, it is our intention that LNG carriers will enter Howe Sound through Queen Charlotte Channel, between Bowen Island and District of West Vancouver. To help illustrate that route, here is a map of Howe Sound with a yellow dotted line showing the shipping route we plan to use if Woodfibre LNG goes ahead.Asked by Gary Taylor, Sea-to-Sky Corridor
How do vendors introduce products to the Woodfibre engineering team?
Thanks for the question! The best way to get in touch with the Woodfibre LNG engineering team about your product ... is to register on our Business Directory. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive email updates about upcoming contracts and opportunities, as well as events like the Business Information Session we held in Squamish in November 2014. More than 100 local businesses and contractors came to that event to hear what they could do to work on our Project. Please follow the link for more information and to register for the Business Directory: https://www.woodfibrelng.ca/work-with-us/business-directory/Asked by Potential Solution Provider, Canada
How can WLNG be confident in the design of offshore mooring pilings (for tankers) given the significant depth to bedrock, the history of submarine slope instability and slope failures at this site?
Hi Jerry, At Woodfibre LNG, safety is our number one priority. Our project will be designed, constructed and maintained using proven ... engineering principles. This includes geotechnical testing. For information about that testing, which recently occurred about 25 metres off the shore of the Woodfibre site, visit our March 2, 2015 project update. We share this kind of information through our project updates. If you’d like to receive project updates, you can sign up to receive them directly via email.Asked by Jerry Carlson, Squamish
How many process operators will you need to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the LNG process train? What skills are you looking for in these operators (ie: power engineers)?
Thank you for the question Jason. Woodfibre LNG anticipates that about half of the more than 100 jobs at the ... Woodfibre site will be related to liquefaction plant. We are currently working with government agencies and local post-secondary institutions to help develop training programs to ensure British Columbians are ready for the opportunity that not only Woodfibre, but LNG will bring to BC. If our project goes ahead, as part of our hiring strategy, we expect to recruit workers with experience in related industries, and then train them for LNG specific duties.Asked by Jason R, British Columbia
What will be the effect of the heated chlorinated discharge on surrounding marine life and ecosystems?
Updated - January 2017: In October 2016, Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council voted to select air cooling as the cooling ... technique Woodfibre LNG Limited will use to cool its LNG facility. Find out more: woodfibrelng.ca/squamish-nation-announces-decision-on-woodfibre-lng-plant-cooling-technology/. Thank you for your question Jordan. Woodfibre LNG’s seawater cooling system is being designed to minimize the potential effects on marine water quality and on marine plants and animals. This includes meeting Canadian legislation (e.g. Fisheries Act) and Fisheries and Ocean’s Canada best management practices. Seawater will be discharged to Howe Sound through an outlet pipe and a diffuser system at a depth of more than 25 m, which is below the depth where marine organisms are found in the greatest numbers. The diffuser will include ports along its length to promote mixing of the seawater with the water around it, which helps reduce the volume of warmed water. The temperature of the seawater will be less than 21°C, or 10°C above the water temperature of Howe Sound, whichever is less. Because of the diffuser design and dissipation of heat, the total volume of water with a temperature between 1°C and 10°C above the surrounding water is expected to be less than 125 cubic metres (approximately 1/20th the volume of an Olympic-size pool). This volume will not increase over time. Residual levels of chlorine at the discharge ports will be less than 0.02 mg/L. This is much less than the chlorine in drinking water, which is approximately 0.04 mg/L to 2.0 mg/L. The levels of residual chlorine will be closely monitored. Before being discharged back into Howe Sound, the seawater will pass through a de-aeration tank. This tank is designed to encourage mixing of seawater and the air, which removes chlorine from the water. If needed, a de-chlorination agent will be added to the seawater to reduce the chlorine concentration to meet water quality guidelines. For additional information see Section 5.10 Marine Water Quality, Section 5.16 Marine Benthic Habitat, and Section 5.18 Forage Fish and Other Fish (Marine) of our Environmental Assessment Certificate application.Asked by Jordan Ross, Squamish
Many people say that all the workers would be temporary foreign workers who would not be living in Squamish and only the low paying jobs will go to locals. Is this the case?
Thank you for your question, Pat. From the very start, our commitment has been to build a project that’s right ... for Squamish. That means working closely with the community to ensure we hire a quality local workforce and contract with local businesses and suppliers wherever we can. We expect to create about 650 jobs during each year of construction and 100 long-term jobs once the new facility is operational. We also expect to provide about $2 million in taxes every year to the District of Squamish for local priorities. But we also know there are things we can be doing to help ensure locals get the most benefit from these jobs and contracts. That’s why we held a Business Information Session in Squamish in November 2014, where more than 100 local businesses and contractors came to hear what they could do to work on our Project. We also have an online Business Directory to help ensure local contractors and businesses have the latest information on upcoming contracts and opportunities. For more information, you can visit our website.Asked by Pat Mullholland, Squamish
Will you be using local contractors such as electricians, welders, pipe fitters, fabricators and millwrights for maintenance and repair work?
Yes, at Woodfibre LNG, we are committed to hiring locally and contracting with local businesses, whenever possible. If you are ... a qualified contractor, we’d encourage you to sign up in our online Business Directory, so you are always aware of any upcoming opportunities. For more information, please visit our website.Asked by Pat Mullholland, Squamish
How much electric power will your project require on an annual basis?
As you likely know, Woodfibre LNG has committed to power its plant using electricity from BC Hydro, making us ... one of the cleanest LNG plants in the world. We anticipate we will require a normal operating load of 140-150 Megawatts (MW) and a peak operating load of 185MW. You may also be interested to know what we’ll be paying for electricity. The BC government announced in 2014 that BC Hydro would be charging LNG proponents $83.02 per megawatt hour (MWh). That was what they said the combined energy and demand charge would be in 2014, before applicable taxes. By comparison, in 2014 the average industrial customer in B.C. paid a combined energy and demand charge of $54.34, before applicable taxes. That means LNG proponents will be paying our fair share for electricity. Like other LNG proponents, Woodfibre LNG will also pay the full cost of connecting to the BC Hydro system, as well as any transmission system upgrades necessary to serve our facility. You can find more details about the government's announcement here.Asked by Dan Potts, Vancouver and surrounding areas
Who will pay for the necessary BC Hydro upgrades?
Thank you, Dan. Woodfibre LNG will be responsible for the full cost of connecting to the BC Hydro system ... and any transmission system upgrades necessary to serve our facility. The BC government announced in 2014 that BC Hydro would be charging LNG proponents $83.02 per megawatt hour (MWh). That was what they said the combined energy and demand charge would be in 2014, before applicable taxes. By comparison, in 2014 the average industrial customer in B.C. paid a combined energy and demand charge of $54.34, before applicable taxes. That means LNG proponents will be paying our fair share for electricity. Like other LNG proponents, Woodfibre LNG will also pay the full cost of connecting to the BC Hydro system, as well as any transmission system upgrades necessary to serve our facility. For more details on the government’s announcement, you can go here.Asked by Dan Potts, Vancouver and surrounding areas
How many secondary jobs will come to Squamish as a result of an operating plant? What field will those jobs be in? How many additional indirect jobs?
Woodfibre LNG will create more than 650 direct jobs during each year of construction, as well as more than ... 100 direct long-term local jobs during operation. You are asking about other benefits, though, and our experts have looked at that as well. They found that Woodfibre LNG will create more than 1,080 indirect and induced jobs during construction and more than 330 indirect and induced jobs during operation. These are jobs in a variety of fields, from trades, to hospitality services, to marine transportation and professional services. For more information, attached below is the board on economic benefits we presented during the Open Houses put on by the Environmental Assessment Office. It gives a more fulsome picture of the economic benefits our Project is expected to deliver.Asked by Corinne, Prefer to not disclose
Will my gas bill go up as a result of the exporting gas as LNG?
Government has introduced a natural gas transportation tariff that establishes the rate for LNG proponents and large-volume natural gas ... customers, including Woodfibre LNG. The rate ensures that large industrial proponents will cover the full cost of the new investment and operational costs to serve them in addition to a portion of the costs of the existing system. These customers, including Woodfibre LNG, will also contribute to lower delivery costs for other FortisBC customers due to the large quantities of natural gas moving through the pipeline system.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
What are the environmental risks: to people, salmon, orcas, dolphins?
We know how important this is to residents throughout Howe Sound. Our experts have conducted a series of studies as ... part of our Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) Application, and our team is developing plans to mitigate any impacts our Project may have. For example, we will use already cleared space whenever we can to reduce our impact on the local environment. Plus, we will replant native trees and shrubs where possible after construction. Our Project also means the Woodfibre site is being cleaned up from years of industrial use so it meets the industrial standards of today. As part of this effort, hundreds of truckloads of wood waste have already been removed from the foreshore. The on-site landfill will also be closed, and we will remove approximately 3,000 creosote coated piles from the waterfront in the Project area. We have also made an important commitment to power our plant with electricity from BC Hydro, making Woodfibre one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. These are just a few of the measures we are taking to protect our environment on land and water. More detailed information is available in the application we submitted for our EAC application.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
Will there be disruptions to recreational boating as these tankers go by?
Squamish is Canada’s outdoor recreation capital and we intend to help keep it that way. LNG carriers will travel at ... very low speeds through Howe Sound – about eight to 10 knots – ensuring they don’t create a large wake and that they can safely share the waters with recreational boaters. The LNG vessels will come in and out of the Sound on established shipping lanes about once every 10 days – fewer than already come and go from Squamish Terminals. Woodfibre will also post a schedule of what days the carriers are expected, so boaters can know exactly what to expect. The vessels will also be escorted in the Sound by three tugboats, which will help to spot small boats and will ensure safe passage at all times. Each LNG carrier will also be guided to Woodfibre by two BC Coast Pilots, who are intimately familiar with Howe Sound and who know our waters the best.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
What emissions – air, water, noise, light – will the plant emit? Will there be a flare? Will it smell? Will it be dangerous?
We've studied the potential noise, light and visual impacts of our proposed Project on Squamish and other communities along ... Howe Sound, and we are making important decisions to ensure we are good stewards of our local environment. For example, we will direct lighting downward, and ensure it is shielded and constantly managed so we are only emitting light when absolutely necessary. And if lighting is not needed for safety or security, we will turn it off. With regard to noise, whenever possible during construction, operation and decommissioning, we'll schedule high-noise emitting maintenance activities during the day and notify residents prior to high-noise emitting maintenance activities. When it comes to air emissions, we listened to the community and made an important commitment early in the process to power our facility with electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent, making Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG facilities in the world. At peak capacity, the Project will have a greenhouse gas intensity of 0.059 t CO2e per tonne LNG, which is well below the threshold of 0.16 t CO2e per tonne LNG in the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act. With regard to the flare, the flare is not continuous. In fact, the plant will be flaring less than 3 per cent of the time. That’s because the flare is only used for testing and start-up when the plant first comes into operation, in some cases for routine maintenance or when LNG is being loaded onto an LNG carrier, and following an unscheduled event like a significant power loss or emergency. We understand how important it is to be a good neighbour and good stewards of the local environment. As you can see, we are taking action throughout various aspects of our Project to ensure we are respecting the local environment. More detailed information is available in the application we submitted for our Environmental Assessment Certificate Application.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
Do LNG plants explode? Do pipelines? Do tankers?
LNG does not burn or explode because it does not contain oxygen. It is also important to note that ... LNG is not kept under pressure. These factors allow companies like ours to produce and transport LNG extremely safely. That said, in the very unlikely event LNG is ever released, an explosion is possible, but only under very specific circumstances. For an explosion to occur, three things must all happen simultaneously: The gas must be contained in a confined space; The ratio between gas and air must be within a very specific range (5% – 15%); There must be a spark present. These are unlikely to happen because in the event of any release, LNG turns into a gas and quickly dissipates up into the air. This means LNG is very safe. This is also unlikely because LNG facilities and carriers – such as those that would be in use at Woodfibre – always use state-of-the-art monitoring systems and are built specifically to ensure the release of LNG never takes placeAsked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
What are the public safety risks? Why ship dangerous LNG in massive tankers through the narrow, windy water of our sound?
**UPDATE** (June 5, 2015) - Woodfibre LNG has been granted an associate membership to SIGTTO. Associate Members have all ... the rights of a full member except for voting rights at the Annual General Meeting. To become a full member of SIGTTO, a company must have equity interest in, or operate, an LNG carrier or terminal. If the Project is approved, and pending a final investment decision, Woodfibre LNG intends to become a full member. LNG shipping is absolutely safe. In fact, LNG has been shipped for 50 years around the world without one incident of loss of containment. It’s also important to know that Howe Sound has been an established shipping route for more than a century, and that it is well suited for the movement of LNG. The Sound is also not defined as being narrow by the Society of International Gas Tanker & Terminal Operators Ltd’s (SIGTTO) and is in fact considered by recognized marine experts as being well suited to the LNG carriers that will come to Woodfibre LNG. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Captain Stephen Brown, President of the BC Chamber of Shipping recently recorded this video about whether it is safe to ship LNG off B.C.’s coast.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
What are the economic costs and benefits to Howe Sound (for example, jobs & taxes)?
Here is a breakdown of some of the important benefits our Project will bring: Jobs: Woodfibre LNG will create more ... than 650 direct jobs during each year of construction, as well as more than 100 long-term local jobs during operation. These are good-paying jobs that will bring more prosperity to the local economy. Revenue: During operation, Woodfibre LNG will contribute approximately $84 million each year in tax revenues to all three levels of government. Included in this will be $2 million each year in local taxes to the District of Squamish – money that can be used for important local programs and services. Indirect benefits: Woodfibre LNG will lead to direct and indirect spin-off economic benefits throughout the community. This will mean new business for local shops and restaurants, as well as increased revenue for tourism and outdoor recreation. We estimate that Woodfibre LNG will create more than 1,080 indirect and induced jobs during construction and more than 330 indirect and induced jobs during operation. For more information, attached below is the board on economic benefits we presented during the Open Houses put on by the Environmental Assessment Office. It gives a more fulsome picture of the economic benefits our Project is expected to deliver.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
Who will own the LNG plant? Who is/are Woodfibre LNG?
Woodfibre LNG limited is a privately held Canadian company based in Vancouver, with a community office in Squamish, and ... an additional office in Calgary, AB. We are a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
Why so little public engagement of these projects?
Listening to local residents and responding to your priorities and concerns is a key part of everything we do ... and every decision we make. To date, we have participated in seven Open Houses, 10 small group meetings, and 10 stakeholder meetings as part of three rounds of formal public consultation. We have also held more than 300 stakeholder meetings and two telephone halls as part of our own community consultation program. While the Environmental Assessment Office did not schedule a meeting for Gambier Island, we held our own Roundtable Discussion there to ensure people have access to the information they want about our Project. Thanks to the public’s thoughtful questions and comments, we’ve been able to make important improvements to our Project. For example, after hearing concerns about air quality, we committed to powering our plant with electricity from BC Hydro. This will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 per cent and make Woodfibre LNG one of the cleanest LNG plants in the world. We’ve also been listening on how we can be a good neighbour, not only to local businesses and residents, but to wildlife as well. The conversation is far from over, and we want to keep talking to people in the community and responding to your concerns. In fact, that’s exactly why we launched this new interactive site, to ensure people can reach Project experts directly and get timely answers to your questions.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
What is Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)? Where does it come from?
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas chilled to about -162° Celsius, the point at which natural gas condenses ... to become a liquid. The cooling process takes place in an LNG facility, similar to a large refrigerator. LNG comes from the same natural gas used throughout Canada to heat our homes, schools and businesses; cook our food; and, increasingly, to fuel trucks, buses and ships. Even BC Ferries will soon have three new vessels powered by LNG. You can read more about that here and here. One of the benefits of shipping LNG to overseas markets is enabling countries to displace coal when generating electricity, which leads to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions. As for where LNG comes from, the gas used in LNG facilities in B.C. will come primarily from the northeastern region of our province, where it has been safely produced for generations. For more detailed information on LNG, you can visit the information page assembled by the BC LNG Alliance.Asked by My Sea to Sky, Squamish
