The company building the Woodfibre LNG plant in Squamish is floating the idea of a floating work camp to house construction site workers.
Woodfibre LNG has applied for an amendment to its environmental certificate to get permission to use a “flotel” to house workers.
“A floatel will address concerns we’ve heard from the community over the past year about the potential impacts of using land-based camps or rental housing at a time when the Squamish market is already tight,” said Woodfibre LNG president David Keane.
The idea is to use a floating barge anchored near the LNG plant site that would provide 400 to 600 beds to accommodate workers.
Not only would it mean not having to take up a footprint on land, the company said it would also reduce traffic.
In addition to up to 600 beds, the floatel would feature a kitchen, recreational areas, sewage collection, holding tanks, garbage collection, and a loading dock.
The capital cost of the Woodfibre LNG plant is estimated at $1.4 billion to $1.8 billion, and would require up to 650 workers at peak construction.
