British Columbia’s Metro Vancouver is to begin discussions with LNG plant developer, FortisBC and its partner over the recent Canadian federal government-approved Tilbury Marine Jetty (TMJ) LNG terminal.
The terminal, to be located on the Fraser River, will handle LNG bunker vessels and LNGCs, and is now due to start construction next year.
Before the construction phase, environmental management plans will be instigated, which will include - river bed monitoring, greenhouse gas reductions and air quality - in consultation with the regional government, according to a report tabled on 3rd October at the British Columbia climate action committee.
The so called Delta jetty project was ultimately approved by Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, in July. The British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office provided an assessment of the proposal from developer Tilbury Jetty Limited Partnership (TJLP), including operating and monitoring conditions.
With the approval came a revised estimate of how many ships would utilise the river annually — almost triple from an original projection of 274 transits to 730.
The assessment said that as many as 307 bunker vessels and 58 LNGCs would make a round-trip on the river, which has one of Canada’s most sensitive and diverse ecosystems.
According to local media, the project has drawn critics from environmental groups, as it promotes the burning of fossil fuels. The ships pose a risk to the river and estuary, as well as its habitants, most notably the Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
