Recently the Woodfibre LNG project responded to concerns regarding the Howe Sound airshed and announced that our drives would be powered by electricity, not by burning natural gas. We estimate this will reduce GHG emissions on site by 80 per cent and items such as nitrous oxide by up to 95 per cent.
While our baseline environmental studies along with our engineering decisions are ongoing, they will now be fully guided by this decision to proceed on electricity.
We have full confidence in the electrical drive technology available and are committed to working with the community to develop a world-class and environmentally sound facility and we are excited about this direction.
Unfortunately, misinformation has been used as a red herring to detract from an honest discussion and feedback process. I refer to the article written by My Sea to Sky and referenced in The Chief (“Woodfibre LNG going electric,” May 15).
Stating that B.C. Hydro ratepayers will bear the burden of this choice is absolutely and categorically false.
B.C. government policy as stated on pages 8 and 9 of “LNG: A Strategy for B.C.’s Newest Industry” says that LNG proponents will be required to bear the cost of infrastructure development and energy supply for our projects. The framework requires that LNG policy on power rates for LNG projects protect existing ratepayers.
Woodfibre will bear the cost of tying into the B.C. Hydro system and we will pay the rates set by B.C. Hydro. There is no subsidy.
In fact, the choice to go electric is likely an additional cost to the project.
There have also been those that have taken the extreme position that going electric somehow has no environmental benefit.
In terms of the environmental benefits of this decision, don’t take our word for it — ask Merran Smith, the executive director of Clean Energy Canada, who said, “Woodfibre LNG is off to a good start by powering the plant with electricity instead of gas and that sets the standard for others to follow.”
In recent months, Clean Energy Canada, a respected national initiative working on climate change solutions, produced a pair of reports that recommend how to develop the LNG industry in the right way. In their opinion, electric drives are a critical ingredient. We invite readers to review their recent report Lock In Jobs, Not Pollution, jobsnotpollution.ca, for the full story.
Squamish spoke and we listened. We are proud of our choice and hope the residents of Squamish are as well. Fundamentally choosing electric drives is the right choice for Squamish, B.C. and the global environment.
Byng Giraud
Vice President, Government Relations
Woodfibre LNG, Vancouver
