VANCOUVER—Jeremy Moorhouse, senior analyst at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to today’s announcement that the Woodfibre LNG facility will run on electricity:
“Designing this facility to run on electricity will reduce on-site carbon pollution by up to 80 per cent. By using electricity instead of natural gas, Woodfibre has set the bar for other would-be LNG facilities—including the proposed Pacific NorthWest project.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms that the federal government set the bar too low in its approval of Pacific NorthWest. That facility plans to produce nearly three-quarters more carbon pollution than necessary. If Pacific NorthWest mirrored Woodfibre’s approach to use electricity, it could cut carbon pollution by more than 70 per cent.
“Natural gas is a fossil fuel, and this project will still increase carbon pollution in British Columbia and globally. But by reducing carbon pollution from their operations, Woodfibre and other facilities who follow their lead will be more resilient and competitive as the cost of carbon pollution rises.”
KEY FACTS
- Woodfibre LNG aims to produce 2.1 million of tonnes of LNG a year, which would generate 142,000 tonnes of carbon pollution annually, equivalent to adding 36,000 cars to B.C. roads each year.
- The Pacific NorthWest plant aims to produce 19.2 million tonnes of LNG a year, generating 4.3 million tonnes of carbon pollution annually, equivalent to adding 1 million cars to B.C. roads each year.
- Both projects have been approved by the federal government.
