Trigon Pacific Terminals says its proposed liquefied petroleum gas export facility in Prince Rupert has officially entered the federal Impact Assessment process, marking the start of a formal environmental review and public consultation period.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada accepted the project description on June 24, allowing it to advance toward a decision from the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Trigon President and CEO Craig Olley spoke with CFNR News following the announcement and said the review is an important step forward for the project.
“The start of an environmental review is really an important next step,” Olley said.
He said the proposal is designed to make use of existing infrastructure already in place at the terminal.
“This project will be entirely built within our existing footprint and leverage a lot of existing infrastructure that’s already in place,” he said.
The facility would export liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, which is made primarily of propane and butane. It is produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing and oil refining in Western Canada and is widely used around the world for cooking, heating, industrial processes and transportation fuel.
Olley said LPG would be moved by rail from Western Canada to Prince Rupert, stored in pressurized tanks, and then loaded onto large gas carriers for export to overseas markets.
He said the west coast location provides a direct and efficient shipping route to Asia. Voyages to countries such as Japan take about 10 days and avoid congestion and delays seen in other global supply routes.
Trigon says demand for Canadian LPG is growing in markets including Japan, South Korea, China and India.
Public open houses will be held in Port Edward, Prince Rupert and Terrace in mid-July as the federal review process continues.
