Canada’s $30BN Gamble To Become An Energy Superpower

This is one of the largest

energy

megaprojects in North America, but you've probably never heard of it, because it's a type of infrastructure that doesn't get as much attention as power plants or dams, despite being equally difficult to build and just as difficult. Crucial to the world's

energy

supply, with the global energy crisis showing no signs of stopping, gas prices stuck at record levels and shortages worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ensuring there is enough material for everyone has

become

a challenge, but when this In a few years a huge new facility will be completed in Canada that could provide a much-needed new source of fuel that will reach everywhere, as well as providing a huge economic boost, the largest private sector investment in the history of Canada, but in an industry. where competition between countries is fiercer than ever and with renewable energy in the rice, is this Canada's chance to

become

the next energy

superpower

or has it missed the boat?

Thanks, okay, so let's get straight to the point: what exactly is this megaproject and why does it require The excavation of such a large portion of this stunning landscape, all taking place in the small town of Kitty Mats and the consortium behind It is called LNG Canada. LNG stands for liquefied natural gas and yes, we know what you're thinking and Yes, you're right, fossil fuels are bad and Canada is supposedly a world leader in renewable energy, so why is it building something like this? Canada is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world, but unlike the United States, Qatar or Australia, it does not.

They have some way of exporting it overseas, the gas industry, of course, sees a lot of gas underground in a place called Montney Basiness, in northeastern British Columbia, and they're thinking we need to get this to market. We need to be able to make some money from this, but the problem is that there is no large population center nearby, they need to get it somewhere else, hence Canada is building its first LNG project which will cost over 40 billion Canadian dollars. In all, a task that, as these launchers clearly show, is more than a little complicated, but wait a moment, let's take a step back before continuing.

Isn't natural gas a gas? It is not a liquid. Yes, it will still be a gas when. It reaches this new terminal via the Coastal Gas Link, a new 670 kilometer gas pipeline running from the source to Dawson Creek. Yes, that is the name of the city where the gas comes from, but if you want to send guests to another country or continent there is an ocean in the way and it is too far away to just build another gas pipeline, you will need special tankers like these to make it safe for transport and so that you can fit as much as possible on board, the gas has to be converted to liquid, then put into these huge tanks and shipped before being converted back to gas on the other charter.

It sounds simple when you sum it up like that, but the actual process is far from simple and the same goes for construction now. You'll be pleased to know that we're not going to try to explain what each component of this site does and how it's being built because that will clearly take some time, so we'll pick out some highlights first. What are those things that look like huge cages covered in pipes? They are process modules that are 35 meters high and weigh more than 4,500 tons. This was the first to be installed. Its function is to act as an entry point for the gas entering from the pipelines and to send them to be treated and processed, all of these giant structures were manufactured in China and transported on ships to take them from the port to the site, they had to be placed on the back of large transporters and carefully moved by road before lowering onto specially constructed foundations was not a unique task, in total more than a dozen of these modules are placed, then there is the absorbent column used to remove the dioxide of carbon from the gas before it liquefies, weighs more than 800 tonnes and is 54 meters long and is the largest piece of equipment on the site, requiring several hours and three cranes to install, but the one thing you really can't help but notice when you look Looking down from the top is the huge tank where the gas is stored.

It is transported to those ships with 52 meters high and 92 meters in diameter. The Colossal container is one of the largest of its kind in the world, with a domed roof that had to be left in place very slowly. The lifting was carried out using fans that gradually pressurized the tank and raised the roof for three hours once in position, the welders were fixed in place and the air pressure in the sight could return to normal with the construction now completed in more Of 70, the terminal is scheduled to come online sometime in the middle of this decade and as for where everyone is This gas is likely to work well.

Asia is the main target. It is the closest continent to the western coasts of Canada. Many countries here depend on gas that must be imported and others still burn coal. The worst of all fossil fuels. Yes, natural gas is a fossil fuel too, but it's not as bad as coal, so it's technically a lower carbon form of energy. Will it really get countries like China to stop using coal? China continues to import large quantities of LNG, but they are still building coal plants. They don't necessarily use it for electricity, it's often used for domestic consumption or to power industry, as far as putting coal to good use, maybe one of the possibilities that could happen or it could just be that places like China do it. import LNG and still take in their domestic coal because coal is cheaper, so what about Europe which has had to struggle over the past year to fill the gap in its gas supplies left by Russia and its war in Ukraine?

Europe's energy crisis is a crisis that could not tip the balance. not only the continent but the entire world in a possible recession according to Shell, one of the five companies behind LNG Canada. In 2022, LNG imports to Europe increased by 60 percent, surely then one of the world's largest gas producers suddenly became an exporter, it is good news for Europeans. Well, first of all, they are in the opposite direction from Asia, which would mean very long trips to reach them, despite needing more in the short term. Europe is pushing hard to stop using fossil fuels for goods as soon as possible and it's right there.

We have one of the potential problems with this whole project: by the time it finally comes online, many nations will be looking for much cleaner alternatives to natural gas and overall demand will most likely be lower by then. Canada will also come. Faced with competitors who have already been manufacturing LNG for years, another problem is the costs that have increased significantly, not at the LNG terminal, but with that pipeline there are also the impacts on local communities. First Nations LNG Canada says it is working closely with them on the principal. The Inland Coastal Gaslight pipeline was originally estimated to cost about six billion dollars, the latest cost estimate is 14 billion Canadian dollars, and then at the same time, the First Nations, the uh Aboriginal people of the Martini Basin I have been concerned about the impacts of drilling and forestry on their hunting and fishing rights.

The industry had to reach an agreement with the government and First Nations that limited the amount of drilling in the Basin and that could increase the cost of supply and overall, LNG Canada represents something of a

gamble

for the companies involved. and to some extent the country is undeniably impressive from a construction point of view and offers something that is clearly needed right now around the world, but as This is often the case with these mega projects. Whether they end up being worth the financial and environmental costs remains to be seen. This video was sponsored by bluebeam.

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