Photo: TC Energy

By Shaun Penner

2021 NGTL SYSTEM EXPANSION

Grande Prairie area pipeline expansion gets federal approval

Oct 19, 2020 | 11:00 PM

The NOVA Gas Transmission expansion project has officially been approved by the federal government.

On Monday, Federal Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan announced that the government has approved the NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) 2021 System Expansion Project, with conditions.

The project received approval in February by the federal energy regulator, but O’Regan cited the need for further consultation with Indigenous groups before cabinet could vote on it. Those consultations were hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We want good projects to get done, moving our natural resources to new markets and creating good jobs,” said O’Regan. “This means meeting our duty to meaningfully consult with potentially impacted Indigenous communities and addressing risks to the environment and species at risk, particularly.

“By taking the time to do the hard work, good projects are being built in Canada.“

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The expansion will add 344 kilometres of pipeline to TC’s existing network that will send sweet natural gas from the Montney and Duvernay formations in the Grande Prairie area to the Calgary area. The expansion will include eight loops and three compressor stations.

In total, there are 35 conditions that must be adhered to relating to safety, environmental and wildlife protection, Indigenous engagement, and protection of Indigenous rights and interest.

A release from the government says NGTL will now be required to restore 3,840 hectares of caribou habitat (30 times the size of the habitat impacted by the project) and seek to establish an Indigenous Working Group to assist with the planning for restoration and monitoring for the protection of the Little Smoky Caribou range.

The feds say the $2.3-billion project is of “significant importance” to Alberta and the national economy and will add an estimated 2,920 jobs and contribute about $1.2 billion to Alberta’s GDP.

The project will also give natural gas producers better access to markets for their products and help facilitate the phase-out of coal-fired electricity by 2030.