Soon after the Ksi Lisims LNG project filed its official project description with regulatory authorities, a knee-jerk letter to the editor appeared on Vancouver Island, decrying the project’s potential impact on the global environment.
No mention, of course, as to how the Nisga’a-led project itself plans to be Net Zero within three years, and no mention of the following key points from the project description:
“The environmental benefits of the Project are extensive. Exporting LNG from Canada provides foreign consumers with a reliable, responsibly produced energy source that helps governments to meet climate targets, satisfy energy demand growth and supports the use of renewables by offsetting intermittent renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, etc.).
“In Asia, coal and oil currently supply over 70% of primary energy demand. Replacing coal with LNG exported from the Project results in a reduction of global carbon emissions by over 45 million tonnes per year, or 1.3 gigatonnes over a 30-year period, which is equivalent to offsetting nearly two years’ worth of total carbon emissions from Canada.”
And no mention of how First Nations have been committed stewards and guardians of the environment for more than 10,000 years in British Columbia.
So what does Ksi Lisims offer on the environment?
And what does Haisla-led Cedar LNG have to say on its planned project?
KSI LISIMS
“The Project, being undertaken by a unique partnership of the Nisga’a Nation, Rockies LNG, and Western LNG, will be developed in a manner consistent with the environmental goals of BC, Canada, the Nisga’a Nation and other stakeholders while respecting Indigenous values and rights. The Project will create significant benefits in Canada and produce global environmental benefits as the world transitions to a low carbon energy economy.”
- “The Proponents are designing the Project to be one of the lowest carbon emitting LNG export projects in the world, targeting to be Net Zero within 3 years of start-up of operations. This will be achieved by the use of renewable power and other GHG reducing design elements, in combination with a strong monitoring and measurement program, an operating culture focused on low emissions, purchase of carbon offsets and the potential for carbon capture and sequestration.”
Ksi Lisims adds that its primary objectives include this: “Assist Canada, BC, Alberta and Indigenous Nations in meeting objectives to address global climate change due to GHG emissions.”
And there’s more:
- “The refrigerant cooling systems are currently being designed so as not to discharge warm water into the marine environment nor to entrain fish or plankton in a seawater intake.”
- “BC’s extensive renewable power base provides the Project with the opportunity to achieve very low LNG facility carbon emissions, and when coupled with a reasonable amount of carbon offset credits, to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions. Once sufficient renewable power is available from BC Hydro (anticipated within 3 years of Project Start-up), and coupled with carbon offsets and potentially sequestration, the Project could be one of, if not the only, Net Zero LNG facilities in the world. This has emerged as a competitive strength in the global LNG industry today, as companies increasingly trade single cargoes coupled with carbon offsets to produce Net Zero cargoes. By comparison, this Project will produce Net Zero cargoes for its entire annual output, year after year.”
- “The GHG emissions produced by the Project will be dependent upon the availability of power from the BC Hydro transmission system. If the full amount of power required by the Project is available, the Project is expected to produce less than approximately 600,000 CO2e tonnes per annum (TPA) (or 0.05 CO2e t/t LNG). If the Project is required to self-generate 100% of its power, the Project is expected to produce approximately 1,870,000 CO2e TPA (or 0.156 CO2e t/t LNG). Both figures would be offset through the purchase of government recognized offsets to achieve Net Zero status.”
- “Water required for process and make-up water for power generation (if required) may be diverted and stored from available freshwater streams, from groundwater wells or from desalination units (sea water). If water is diverted from freshwater streams it will need to be suitable and available (e.g., quantity and quality) and its use would not negatively affect fish or fish habitat.”
- “To manage or avoid potential adverse impacts on the environment, best practices, assessment exercises, and analyses will be incorporated into Project design and associated mitigation measures. . . . Mitigation measures will be revised and expanded on based on information learned through the EA-IA process and Project engineering. Mitigation measures will be incorporated into management plans to facilitate tracking and implementation during Project construction and operation phases.”
- “Despite the remoteness of the Project there is still the potential for the Project to contribute to cumulative effects on the environment associated with past, present and reasonably foreseeable future projects and activities in the region. Where the potential for cumulative effects are identified additional mitigation measures and management plans will be identified to manage them.”
- “Despite the remoteness of the Project there is still the potential for the Project to contribute to cumulative effects on the environment associated with past, present and reasonably foreseeable future projects and activities in the region. Where the potential for cumulative effects are identified additional mitigation measures and management plans will be identified to manage them.”
There’s a full account in the official project description.
CEDAR LNG
- “The business philosophy of Haisla Nation is to advance commercially successful initiatives and to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable development, while minimizing impacts on land and water resources, partnering with First Nations and non-First Nations persons, working with joint venture business partners, and promoting and facilitating long-term development opportunities.”
- “Protect and steward Haisla Nation’s traditional territory, including fisheries and watersheds.”
- “Over the last decade, global demand for LNG has steadily increased in Asia and Europe. According to British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy, this growth is expected to continue as countries pursue alternatives to diesel and coal to support cleaner electricity generation, heating, and transportation requirements. . . . The Project will help meet the increasing demand, connecting plentiful natural gas resources in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin with markets worldwide to reduce global air pollution and greenhouse gases (GHGs).”
- “Cedar is committed to developing the Project in a manner that utilizes the maximum amount of electrification possible whilst not introducing further environmental and/or operational risks.”
- “The GHG emissions produced by the Project will be dependent upon the availability of power from the provincial grid. If the full amount of power required by the Project is available, the Project is expected to produce approximately 168,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year. If Cedar is required to self-generate 100% of its power, the Project is expected to produce approximately 840,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. Cedar will report emissions in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Industrial Reporting and Control Act and associated regulations.”
- “Best practices and mitigation measures to avoid and reduce potential effects of the Project will be incorporated and considered in Project design. Examples include:
- Cedar has selected the floating nearshore LNG production unit for the Project. Locating the majority of Project infrastructure on this vessel will reduce the Project footprint and associated clearing.
- Cedar has selected air cooling as the cooling technology for the Project rather than seawater cooling. This avoids the potential for entrainment or impingement of marine fish and larvae as well as the discharge of warm water to Douglas Channel.
- Cedar is making the Project “electric ready” in preparation for the outcome of discussions with BC Hydro regarding feasibility of full electrification of the Project.”
- “Project emissions sources will be managed through adherence to best management practices, regulatory requirements, and guidelines. An environmental management system will be developed to oversee emission compliance requirements during Project operations, including any accidents or malfunctions.”
Cedar LNG continues with this:
- “Existing (environmental) conditions in the Cedar LNG Project Area and transmission line corridor are well understood and have been characterized through numerous previous projects and studies. . . . Cedar will conduct site-specific environmental studies to validate existing information.”
- “Best practices and mitigation measures to avoid and reduce potential effects of the Project will be incorporated and considered in Project design. Examples include:
- Cedar has selected the floating nearshore LNG production unit for the Project. Locating the majority of Project infrastructure on this vessel will reduce the Project footprint and associated clearing.
- “Cedar has selected air cooling as the cooling technology for the Project rather than seawater cooling. This avoids the potential for entrainment or impingement of marine fish and larvae as well as the discharge of warm water to Douglas Channel.
- “Cedar is making the Project ‘electric ready’ in preparation for the outcome of discussions with BC Hydro regarding feasibility of full electrification of the Project.
- “As the Project progresses through the environmental assessment process, additional or revised mitigation measures will be incorporated into the Project design. Mitigation measures will be developed in accordance with applicable provincial and federal regulations and permit requirements, best management practices, and specific measures identified through the environmental assessment process.
- “Prior to construction, a Construction Environmental Management Plan will be developed that will specify the mitigations and controls to be implemented through construction as well as describe environmental monitoring requirements. Additional management plans may also be developed (e.g., emergency response plan, access management plan, marine fish management plan) as determined to be required through the environmental assessment. Cedar will retain environmental monitor(s) to verify compliance with the management plans as well as the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.”
Here is the full project description
Both Ksi Lisims and Cedar LNG projects promise to take into account the interests of neighbouring First Nations and those along the routes of LNG carriers.
And both are committed to the First Nations Climate Initiative, whose mission encompasses fighting climate change, alleviating First Nations poverty, advancing ecosystem restoration, and Reconciliation in Action.
Meanwhile, Woodfibre LNG on Howe Sound says: “Woodfibre LNG will be the cleanest LNG export facility in the world.”
That will be closely monitored by the Squamish Nation, which is both a partner and an environmental regulator for the project.
Squamish input moved Woodfibre to agree to air cooling, instead of using pumped seawater for cooling.
(Posted here 29 July 2021)
