The Tsawwassen First Nation has announced a proposal to build a liquefied natural gas export terminal at Roberts Bank in partnership with FortisBC.
At 3-5 million tonnes of LNG per year, the proposed facility would be about one-quarter the size of the $11 billion Pacific Northwest LNG plant Petronas plans to build in Prince Rupert, but about twice the size of the smaller $1.7 billion 2-tonne per annum Woodfibre LNG plant proposed for Squamish.
It would require five to six LNG carriers per month.
The plant would be located on a 32-hectare site that is part of Tsawwassen treaty settlement lands that are already zoned for industrial use.
Unlike most other LNG plants proposed for B.C., the plant would use electric drive for the liquefaction process. The Woodfibre LNG plant is the only other LNG facility to date that is being designed with electric drive. All other LNG proposals would burn natural gas to power the chilling process.
The Tsawwassen plant would get natural gas from FortisBC, which would require building a 10-kilometre extension to tie into the pipeline.
According to a TFN news release, the project would create 1,000 jobs during construction, and 50-100 permanent jobs. The TFN said it would provide education and training to ensure Tsawwassen members would be given first consideration for those jobs.
The project is still in its very early stages. Tsawwassen members will be asked to approve the project. It will be put to a membership vote on December 16.
