Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Presentation to Bowen Island Municipal Council February, 2015 Eoin Finn B.Sc., Ph.D., MBA Bowyer Island, Howe Sound Jan. 2015 1
November, 2013: Howe Sound (Woodfibre) LNG Announcement Premier Clark
.. Woodfibre LNG is part of the effort to re- industrialize Howe Sound… Run-of-river Hydro Run-of-river Hydro Incinerator Gravel Mill LNG Plant Gas Pipeline Woodlots Compressor Gas Pipeline Gas Pipeline Gas Pipeline July, 2014 3
Burnco Gravel Mine & Mill • Burnco wants to open-pit mine the estuary of McNab Creek for sand & gravel • Proponent is a Calgary-based building materials company • 1-4 million tonnes annually. 1-4 barge-loads daily up/down the Sound past Bowyer/Passage • +12 jobs – none residing there. Job loss at existing suppliers (Jervis Inlet, Port McNeil) • Turned down (twice) by DFO – no local mitigation possible for loss of fish habitat • Status: In a Federal/Provincial joint Envir. Assessment since early 2012 • Issues: Mill noise (there are 17 cabins there), loss of fish & wildlife habitat (and the $million spent rehabilitating past logging damage), siltation of eelgrass and glass sponge beds, light pollution, barge traffic July, 2014 4
Metro Vancouver Incinerator • Port Mellon – next to the Pulp Mill - is one of four locations shortlisted as a site for locating Metro Vancouver’s incinerator (aka “Waste -to-Energy facility”) • Proponents include Aquilini Group and Squamish First Nation (the land owner) • Closed-containment salmon farm next to the incinerator • $500 million proposal is for “mass - burn” technology – from Denmark • 370,000 tonnes waste p.a. would be barged up Howe Sound (likely between Bowyer and Bowen) • Issues include air quality effects (GHGs, soot/particulates/dioxans, safe disposal of fly- ash and contaminated residual ash, landfill smells), barge traffic, “play or pay” contract terms and health effects on locals (asthmatics especially) • Status: Very contentious. Still in feasibility, selection stage at Metro Vancouver. Gambier Island LTC has commented negatively to Metro’s Maria Harris April 18, 2014 5
The promise(s) of LNG • 75,000 long-term jobs. Maybe! • British Columbians first in line for those jobs (but BC has signed an agreement with China for LNG TFWs) • A debt-free BC . (BC’s current provincial debt is ~ $69 billion*) • “Cleanest fossil fuel on the planet” = cleaner air (in China. Not counting fugitive emissions) * not counting BC Hydro’s multi -billion$$ run-of-river contractual commitments July, 2014 7
NEB approved 9 BC LNG export projects October, 2014 8
UBCM Resolution (2008) WHEREAS the waters of Georgia and Malaspina Straits provide a vital habitat for diverse bird and fish species, a corridor for commercial and recreational marine traffic and an attraction for upland settlement; AND WHEREAS WestPac LNG is soliciting interest to build an LNG import facility and associated 600MW gas-fired electricity generating plant on Texada Island, which will involve the passage of a significant number of LNG tankers in the Georgia Strait, which will interfere with existing marine traffic, put at risk these ecologically important and sensitive inland waters, and negatively impact upland development along this route: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM urge the federal government to ban the passage of LNG tankers in the waters of the Malaspina, Georgia, Juan de Fuca and Haro Straits, and Boundary Pass. July, 2014 9
.. A typical LNG tanker is big! 150,000 tonnes DWT +60,000 tonnes LNG 300 metres long (3 football fields) 40 metres wide 30 metres tall … compared to a BC ferry
LNG Tankers – view from Bowyer Island!
the view inside a membrane-type tank June, 2014 13
LNG tankers in Boston harbour get tight security
International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code Classification System The 9 classes: Class 1 Explosives Class 2 Gases Class 3 Flammable liquids Class 4 Flammable solids Class 5 Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides Danger Class 6 Toxic and infectious substances Class 7 Radioactive material Class 8 Corrosive substances Class 9 Miscellaneous dangerous substances & articles These 9 hazard classes have been established internationally by a United Nations (UN) committee to ensure that all modes of transport (road, rail, air and sea) classify dangerous goods in the same way. IMDG Code reference: 2.0
An LNG tanker spill would be lethal to a nearby population* * Sources: U.S. Dept. of Energy/ Sandia National Labs Research Report on LNG Security & Safety, July, 2008 and 2009 http://www.narucmeetings.org/Presentations/NARUC_Committee_July22_08.pdf and http://www.safetybeforelng.ie/safetyresearch/sandialngpoolfiretestsonwater2009.pdf July, 2014 16
Worst case …. 50% fatalities out to 3.7 km* July, 2014 17
Howe Sound Safety Exclusion Zones (as recommended by Sandia) • Zone 1: 500 m. on each side of transiting tanker • Zone 2: 1600m. on each side of transiting tanker • Zone 3: 3500m. on each side of transiting tanker
Howe Sound (Woodfibre) LNG : 2.4 MTPA-Annual AIR emissions* IF POWERED by GAS (10% of supply) IF POWERED by ELECTRICITY (140MW) • 735,000 T/a CO 2 (=137,000 vehicles) • 142,000 T/a CO 2 (=26,500 vehicles) • 487 T/a NO x (smog, = 27,000 vehicles) • 50 T/a NO x (smog, = 3,000 vehicles) • 40 T/a SO 2 ( = 170,000 vehicles) • 8 T/a SO 2 ( = 34,000 vehicles) • 40 T/a PM 2.5 ( = 70,000 vehicles) • 8 T/a PM 2.5 ( = 14,000 vehicles) • Mercury (unknown) • Mercury (unknown) • Higher alkanes (unknown) • Higher alkanes (unknown) • H 2 S (hydr. sulfide/rotten eggs- unknown) • H 2 S (unknown) *: Estimated based on comparable emissions from the Sabine Pass LNG facility, Texas Liquefaction Plant Admin. Buildings Flare stack Cooling towers Storage tankers (permanent)
Howe Sound (Woodfibre) LNG : Water, wildlife effects • Liquefaction plant will be cooled by sea-water from the Sound • Will discharge 17,000 tonnes* of this each hour (24x7x365) into the Sound • Discharge-pipe water temperature will be +10 0 C above that of the intake • Hypochlorite will be added to the discharge to reduce growth, fouling The effects on the Sound’s recovering marine life and mammals are unknown! • Transiting LNG Tankers, the liquefaction plant, storage tankers and the flare stack will all transmit noise – over the water and through the water Noise effects on the Sound’s marine life are also little studied! • Light, sound and air pollution effects on other species – elk, grizzlies, migratory birds etc. - are unknown. *: 7 Olympic-sized 50m. swimming pools Liquefaction Plant Admin. Buildings Flare stack Cooling towers Storage tankers (permanent)
LNG tanker wakes may also be an issue in the Sound • 300m.-long LNG tankers will be travelling at 8- 12 knots in the Sound (80 transits p.a.) • Likely accompanied by tug(s) to Passage Is. • Bow and stern wave sizes unknown • Not practical to go slower (high windage, minimum engine revs.) • Shoreline waves will be an issue for children on beaches, floats/moorages, beach erosion
Woodfibre and the Fortis pipeline lie directly on several fault lines Source: http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/multimedia/every-fault-line-in-british-columbia-1.2919420
The Gas comes form fracking operations in NE BC
… and a fracking area eventually looks like this.. Natural gas wells in Wyoming July 2014 26
..frustrating BC’s emission reduction plans.. BC’s GHG emissions reduction target
But… the Asian LNG price has plummeted… January 28 th , 2015 July, 2014 29
Woodfibre LNG and Fortis Eagle Mountain pipeline 45 days
Woodfibre lies directly on several fault lines Squamish Woodfibre Source: http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/multimedia/every-fault-line-in-british-columbia-1.2919420
Fortis (formerly Terasen) Pipeline
Fossil fuel traffic in the Straits is set to increase dramatically …. Canadian Current Proposed Origin of Increase Source* (annual, 1-way) (annual, 1-way) Oil/Dilbit Trans Mountain Kinder Morgan 60 408 Tankers Expansion Woodfibre LNG 40+, Discovery/Quicksilver LNG LNG Tankers 0 510+ 400+, Tilbury/Wespac/Fortis 70+? Coal 250 ~350 Westshore, DeltaPort/Texada Carriers (25m. Tonnes) (35m. Tonnes) expansions Coal Gateway Pacific (Cherry Point, 0 ~480 Carriers Wa.) Total 310 1,748 460% INCREASE! *: U.S.-sourced oil tanker traffic to/from Port Angeles, Anacortes terminals will also increase July, 2014 56
This means more ship traffic in the Straits …and 5x greater collision, grounding risk 10am April 9 snapshot https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ July, 2014 57
Hazard Areas – Tilbury to tidewater
BC has missed the window of opportunity to export LNG to Asia
.. as have BC’s 2000 - 2014 natural gas royalties… $2B in 2006; $169M in 2013 2000 2006 2014 At this rate, it will take 408 years to pay off BC’s provincial debt! October, 2014 69
2013: Oil & Gas, Mining
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