LNG

JX LNG Canada, a privately held company registered in British Columbia, has proposed a fourth LNG export project for northern BC, adding to the already advancing LNG Canada, Cedar FLNG and another First Nation-led venture north of Prince Rupert.

The latest project proposed by JX LNG Canada is called the Summit Lake PG LNG Project and the developers have just filed to start the regulatory process.

The Summit Lake LNG venture is planned for the Caribou Region of BC and the liquefaction facility will be sited about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of Prince George.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) and BC Environmental Assessment Office said they had started working cooperatively for the initial phase of the Summit LNG project's review.

Traditional territory

“The project will be located at the Hart North Industrial site. The site is located approximately 20km from the Lheidli-T’enneh First Nation Community, and within the traditional territory of the Lheidli-T’enneh First Nation,” said the developers JX LNG Canada.

“The project is preliminarily projected to utilize 250 hectares of land,” added JX LNG.

The company explained that a two-phase development is proposed with Phase 1 comprising the production of up to 1.35 million tonnes per annum of LNG.

The second phase would give an additional 1.35 MTPA of output for a total of 2.70 MTPA of LNG.

Commercial operations for Phase 1 are expected to commence in 2028, according to JX LNG’s initial filing for the Summit project.

At full build-out the project plans to process 355 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas and was expected to operate for 30 years.

The Canadian and BC regulators have now invited  public comments and are setting up information sessions for those in the project area and Canada at large.

“You are invited to review the initial project description and provide feedback. A summary document, in English or French, is available on the project,” said the IAAC.

Review process

“Funding provided by the Agency is now available to help Indigenous Peoples and the public participate in the impact assessment process for the proposed Summit Lake PG LNG Project north of Prince George,” the regulator added.

The other three LNG export projects in northern BC are the soon-to-start industrial-scale LNG Canada venture, the Cedar LNG project involving Pembina Pipeline Corp. and the Haisla First Nation and the Ksi Lisims LNG Partnership project.

The Ksi Lisims LNG Partnership joint venture comprises the Nisga’a Nation, Rockies LNG and Western LNG LLC.

They are proposing a floating liquefaction and export plant near the port of Prince Rupert and have signed a 20-year sale and purchase agreement with the Shell subsidiary, Shell Eastern Trading.

Under the SPA, Shell will purchase 2 MTPA of LNG per annum from the Ksi Lisims project on a free-on-board basis in what was the first LNG offtake agreement executed by the Ksi Lisims venture.

That project plans to produce 12 MTPA at Wil Milit, located north of Prince Rupert and near the Nisga’a tribal village of Gingolx.

The Ottawa-based Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has formally rejected the Énergie Saguenay Project proposed by GNL Québec to export abundant Canadian natural gas as LNG from a liquefaction and export plant in the French-speaking province.

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is making available funds for the public and Indigenous groups participating in the permit process for the proposed Cedar LNG Project, a floating production facility and affiliated infrastructure proposed for near Kitimat in British Columbia.

“The project is subject to the federal Impact Assessment Act and British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Act and is undergoing a substituted review process,” said the IAAC in a statement.

This means the Government of British Columbia is conducting the impact assessment on behalf of the Agency and providing a single assessment process that meets the requirements of both the provincial and federal governments.

Cedar LNG Partners, which is a company led by the Haisla First Nation whose traditional territories are around Kitimat, is proposing the FLNG venture with an annual capacity of up to 4 million tonnes per annum of LNG.

The proposed project would have a lifespan of at least 25 years.

Cedar LNG Partners had previously been known as Cedar LNG Export Development Ltd.

The Haisla Nation-owned project is a partnership with Pembina Pipeline Corp., the Canadian pipelines and terminals company.

It will be the largest First Nation-owned infrastructure project in Canada, creating jobs, contracting and other economic opportunities for the Haisla Nation, the community of Kitimat, neighbouring Indigenous Nations and the local region.

Eligible

“Funding is available for eligible individuals and groups to assist their participation in the upcoming steps of the project's assessment, which include reviewing and providing comments,” said the Agency.

“Applications received by February 25, 2022, will be considered,” it added.

The Cedar LNG plant will be powered by electricity from BC Hydro, the provincial hydro-electric company, the project noted in its latest newsletter.

“It will be one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG facilities in the world,” said the company.

“The project will use Canada’s rich natural gas supply and BC’s growing pipeline infrastructure to produce low-carbon, low-cost Canadian LNG Asia-Pacific markets,” added Cedar LNG.

Over the last several months, the Cedar project team has had the opportunity to meet with local municipal governments and stakeholders from across the Kitimat and Terrace region.

“Outreach will continue with stakeholder engagement sessions through the winter,” said the company.

Consultations in the region will include community open houses planned by Cedar LNG for March.