No one should get too excited, one way or the other, about the floating liquefied-natural-gas plant proposed for the Saanich Inlet. It鈥檚 certainly not going to happen soon; there鈥檚 a good chance it will never happen.
The announcement of the proposal raises far more questions than it answers, but perhaps the search for answers will generate useful information about industry, the environment and economic prospects on Vancouver Island.
The proposed project, as announced Thursday by the Malahat First Nation and Vancouver-based Steelhead LNG Corp., would see a floating plant anchored just offshore from Bamberton, with supporting infrastructure being built on land. The facility would have a capacity to process six million tonnes of LNG a year.
Malahat and Steelhead officials said the project would provide as many as 200 high-paying jobs when the plant is functioning, as well as hundreds of jobs during the construction phase.
Malahat CEO Lawrence Lewis said the process is in its early stages, and nothing will likely be built for at least five years.
Given how long the province has been talking about LNG plants on the northern sa国际传媒 coast, that鈥檚 optimistic to the point of being unrealistic. There are many questions to be answered. Those answers will take a lot of time and will likely raise more questions.
The proposal would require a pipeline to bring natural gas from the mainland to the Island to feed the Bamberton project and the LNG facility proposed by Steelhead near Port Alberni. That鈥檚 a huge undertaking all by itself, one that seems to dwarf the challenges of the Island-based processing plants. Given the atmosphere in sa国际传媒 today, what are the chances of approval for yet another pipeline, especially one that must cross ocean straits?
What will it all cost? Where will the money come from?
It would be virtually impossible to build the project without a secure, long-term market. What are the prospects for that? Who are the customers?
Such a project cannot proceed without First Nations approval. The Bamberton proposal will affect First Nations other than the Malahat, and nearby First Nations were not consulted on the project before Thursday鈥檚 announcement. What will it cost them in economic and social terms?
Environmental questions will need to be answered, huge questions. Unlike much of the ocean, in which tides and currents bring about a constant change of water, Saanich Inlet is a much more static body. Refreshing its waters takes a year or so, and its environment is particularly vulnerable to pollution and disruption. Can such a project be built without jeopardizing that fragile environment?
The Malahat and Steelhead LNG shouldn鈥檛 be faulted for bold thinking and an unconventional approach. The status quo is seldom changed by doing things the same old way. The Malahat bought the Bamberton site, formerly a cement plant, with economic development in mind.
All options should be explored. If the LNG project doesn鈥檛 work out, perhaps the exploration of the concept will bring to light better possibilities.
They should ask the questions, but they should also be prepared for unexpected answers.
