The federal government has approved the $4 billion expansion of Enbridge’s Westcoast natural gas pipeline system in British Columbia.
The project would add close to 140 kilometres of new pipeline to B.C.’s existing natural gas pipeline system and include upgrades to existing facilities.
Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Friday the project will help ensure B.C. has enough gas supply as more LNG export facilities come online, including Woodfibre LNG near Squamish.
“This project will enable us to heat more homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools while bolstering British Columbian industry, including for LNG, and creating thousands of jobs,” said Hodgson in a statement.
It’s expected to add more than $3 billion to Canada’s GDP.
The project is set to begin construction this July, with a goal of having the expansion in service by late 2028.
The federal government said the project will create 2,500 jobs during peak construction.
Premier David Eby said the project is “good news for British Columbian jobs.”
“At a time of uncertainty and global instability, this is how we create the prosperity needed to pay for the public services that make us all better off,” said Eby in a statement.
The Westcoast system spans more than 2,900 kilometres from Fort Nelson, B.C., and Gordondale, Alberta, south to the Canada-U.S. border near Abbotsford.
The project would build on the southern portion of the pipeline between Chetwynd and Sumas, B.C.
Currently, the system is capable of transporting up to 3.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
The expansion is expected to increase the capacity of the southern part of the pipeline by about 300 million cubic feet per day.
The project proposal includes the use of electric-driven compressor units, which Enbridge said would require the construction of about 10 kilometres of new electric transmission power lines.
Westcoast, the Enbridge affiliate that owns and operates the pipeline system, filed the federal regulatory application in 2024.
In recommending approval for the project in January, the Canada Energy Regulator set several binding conditions related to environmental protection, safety and Indigenous engagement.
Enbridge said it has already spent more than $52 million on hiring and procurement from Indigenous businesses related to the pipeline project.
The Westcoast system is about 12.5 per cent owned by a partnership of more than three dozen Indigenous groups in B.C.
B.C. Green MLA Jeremy Valeriote said Canada’s focus should be on clean renewable energy, not fossil fuel dependency.
“Doubling down on LNG only locks in emissions, further damages our climate, and results in higher costs for Canadians,” said Valeriote.
“In the fight to make Canada look appealing to investors, Carney is sacrificing this country’s air, lands, and waters, but also, what’s in the public interest for Canadians in the long run,” he said.
