A plan for supplying power to the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant should be announced by late May, according to a BC Hydro manager.
BC Hydro has been asked by Woodfibre LNG for a plan to connect electricity to the the proposed liquefied natural gas export facility slated for southwest of Squamish by 2017.
“We are now assessing the alternatives and consulting with First Nations and stakeholders, to get their input as well on those alternatives, and we will select the preferred alternative by spring of this year,” said Sue Foster, a BC Hydro project manager, adding sometime in May would be the likely timing of the decision.
Foster made the comments at the BC Hydro open house on March 19 at the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort in Squamish.
“We have done some studies and then BC Hydro does triple bottom line assessment, so when we make a decision on an alternative, it is not strictly economic. We look at the social aspect, the environmental aspects, et cetera, so that is what we are doing,” Foster said.
Once the preferred alternative is chosen then more detailed studies and preliminary designs, final design and procurement will move ahead, according to Foster, “we don’t anticipate to be in construction until, soonest would be 2016.”
The visual impact of the transmission corridor, a V-shaped swath of land that would have to be cleared above the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant, was of interest to Squamish’s Eric Andersen, who attended the open house.
“It is the main thing that will strike you from a distance,” Andersen said while looking at BC Hydro’s poster boards on the alternatives.
The impact of the transmission
corridor was also of concern to Ruth Simons, executive director of the Future of Howe Sound Society.
“This introduces new information both on visual impact, but also on, what does this mean to the cumulative effects of the project,” said Simons, who said as far as she knew the cumulative effects of the clearing of the land for the transition lines was not in the Woodfibre LNG Environmental Assessment.
“That is huge swaths of forests gone – permanently,” she said.
According to a statement sent by Woodfibre LNG, cumulative effects were considered, to a point.
“Woodfibre LNG Limited can confirm that connection of utilities, including to BC Hydro, was considered in the cumulative effects assessment of the Woodfibre LNG Environmental Assessment Certificate (EAC) Application based on the information available at the time of filing,” read the email statement sent from Woodfibre LNG. “It’s important to note that discussions continue between BC Hydro and Woodfibre LNG; we are looking at a number of different scenarios, and no final decision has been made… the project is being designed to maximize use of existing disturbed areas and minimize removal of vegetation and topsoil.”
The public comment period for the proposed Woodfibre LNG application for an environmental assessment certificate closed March 23.
There are three alternatives to connect power to Woodfibre LNG proposed by BC Hydro. Each of these alternatives involves a temporary solution to get power to the proposed plant by 2017 and a more permanent solution for the longer term.
There is also a plan in the works to get power to a new FortisBC compressor station, should the Woodfibre LNG plant become a reality. BC Hydro has been asked for a plan to interconnect the new compressor station by November 2016. According to BC Hydro, the proposed new compressor station in Squamish would be connected to an existing 69 KV transmission line.
According to BC Hydro, Woodfibre LNG will pay for the entire cost of upgrading the system, while the cost to connect the compressor station will be paid for by BC Hydro and FortisBC.
About 22 members of the public stopped by during the four-hour open house, according to a BC Hydro spokesperson. About 10 industry representatives were on hand for the event.
For more information on the hydro options for the project, go to bchydro.com/woodfibrelng or email [email protected].
