By Jite Eriabie
Canada has sent its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China by a containership as part of a pilot project to determine long-term feasibility.
LNG was supplied by FortisBC’s Tilbury facility in Delta, logistics and equipment were provided by True North Energy Corporation and CIMC ENRIC Holdings Limited, and the cargo was shipped from Vancouver.
Transporting LNG as a containerized cargo means that there is no need for investment in export and import LNG terminals, according to CIMC ENRIC. In this way, LNG can be transported by sea and by land.
“This pilot is a small, but significant step for B.C.’s LNG export industry,” Douglas Stout, vice-president of Market Development and External Relations, FortisBC, pointed out.
As informed, FortisBC has invested in expanding its Tilbury LNG storage facility and in innovative solutions to transport natural gas. In addition, True North has been exploring creative ways to bring Canadian natural gas to Asia. By teaming up, these solutions will provide China with more access to LNG, a clean and low-cost fossil fuel displacement for coal and diesel.
“Our Government is pleased to see this pilot project launch its first shipment of LNG to China,” Michelle Mungall, BC Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, said.
By next year, China is projected to become the world’s second-largest LNG importer. The Chinese government is stepping up its efforts in combatting air pollution and LNG imports have more than tripled in the last six years.
With limited reserves on its own, the country is turning to producers with abundant resources, including B.C., to deliver natural gas, which is the cleanest-burning of all fossil fuels.
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