Canada has approved a 40-year licence for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in British Columbia.
The plant at Howe Sound near Squamish would be run by Woodfibre LNG and has already received the blessing of Squamish Nation aboriginal people, who deemed its negative environmental impact would be minimal.
Federal body the National Energy Board, which regulates the import and export of natural gas, granted the licence for the Woodfibre LNG Project after finding that the quantity of gas to be exported over the 40 years would be surplus to Canada’s needs. It was made with an eye on the growing demand from Asian markets.
In 2013 Woodfibre was granted a 25-year licence to export around 2.1m tonnes of LNG annually but 2015 changes to NEB regulations allowed for the extension just approved.
The Green Party remain opposed to the project, claiming that the environmental assessment used was inadequate because it was based on rules set by the former Conservative federal government.
Woodfibre LNG is a subsidiary of Pacific Oil & Gas Ltd, which is part of Singapore-based RGE (Royal Golden Eagle) Group.
The Woodfibre LNG project has to be stopped, because the potentially, explosive LNG tankers pass too close to residential areas. The Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO), has determined a 3.5 kilometer safety zone is required around LNG tankers and LNG terminals. The area between West Vancouver and Bowen Island, where LNG tankers transit, is about 2 kilometers wide.