Canadian officials want LNG added to fuel mix

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Liquefied natural gas is poised to become a large part of the energy mix in Atlantic Canada, conference attendees were told Tuesday.

There are currently three proposals for terminals in the region at Bear Head, Nova Scotia; Goldboro, Nova Scotia; and Saint John, New Brunswick.

For a province like New Brunswick with no large indigenous fuel source, officials said it will be vital to the economy.

Regulators told the LNG conference in Halifax that industry also needs to address myths surrounding development including safety and security.

Paul Bourgeois of the National Energy Board said LNG terminals and ships have proved to be quite safe.

“The industry has been operating worldwide for close to 40 years and has a pretty solid safety record throughout the world,” said Bourgeois.

Bourgeois pointed to Japan, where 20 terminals in highly populated areas have operated without incident.

LNG development has become a focus of controversy in Maine, where two communities have voted to reject proposals to build terminals. Plans in other towns have been dropped in the face of local criticism.

Still on the drawing board is an Oklahoma developer’s plan for a terminal on the Passamaquoddy reservation at Pleasant Point, not far from the Canadian border.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s deputy minister of energy said the province would welcome more projects like Irving-Repsol’s in Saint John.

William Thompson said New Brunswick is no different than most in looking to reshape its energy pool.

“Everybody’s looking for different ways to produce energy to be competitive and to be cost-effective,” said Thompson. “So having LNG, another source of energy coming into New Brunswick, is key. If we could have 10 more sources we’d be 10 times better off. But having LNG is a major, major opportunity.”

Thompson said the Irving-Repsol terminal would put twice as much natural gas into the province’s pipeline system every day as is currently coming from the Sable fields off Nova Scotia.