A Canadian energy company is looking to twin a natural gas pipeline along Howe Sound.
On Aug. 1, Fortis B.C. Energy applied for environmental certification of a 52-kilometre-long line that would be 508 millimetres in diameter. The company already has a pipeline in place that runs from an area north of the Coquitlam watershed to the former Woodfibre site on the west coast of Howe Sound.
With the exception of a few geographical obstacles, the new pipeline would travel within the current gas main's right-of-way, said Carol Greaves, Fortis B.C. Energy's community relationship manager, said on Wednesday (Aug. 21).
We are in the very early stages of our feasibility test, she said.
The line would serve the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility that is proposed at the former mill site. Fortis B.C. officials anticipate the environmental assessment to be completed by 2015.
It is an evolved process, Greaves said.
In a letter to Squamish Mayor Rob Kirkham, provincial project assessment manager Josh Handysides wrote that the pipeline project involves building metering facilities at delivery points, a new compressor station in Squamish and upgrading existing compression facilities at the Eagle Mountain station in Coquitlam and at the Port Mellon station.
In addition, temporary infrastructure will be required during construction, such as access roads, stockpile sites, contractor yards and borrow sites, he wrote.
The Environmental Assessment Office will establish an advisory working group for the proposed project which includes representatives from the provincial, federal, local governments and First Nations.
We will contact you in the near future regarding whether the District of Squamish would like to participate in the working group, Handysides wrote.
In July, Woodfibre LNG Export, part of the Pacific Oil and Gas group, submitted an application to Canada's National Energy Board for a 25-year licence to export up to 2.1 million tonnes of LNG per year from the former pulp mill site. The application highlights the project's focus on supplying growing Asian natural gas markets.
