Canada-based energy infrastructure company Enbridge has started construction on the C$4bn ($2.84bn) Sunrise Expansion Program, aimed at increasing natural gas transportation capacity in British Columbia (BC) by up to 300 million cubic feet per day.
The development marks an expansion of Enbridge’s Westcoast natural gas pipeline system, with construction activities now under way following an official ceremony held in Prince George, BC.
Officials and community representatives, including Enbridge president and CEO Greg Ebel, Enbridge executive VP and Gas Transmission president Matthew Akman, and Federal Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson, attended the construction kick-off event on 20 July.
The ceremony was also attended by BC Minister of Jobs and Economic Development Ravi Kahlon, and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Chief Dolleen Logan.
The ceremony featured a display of Canadian-manufactured steel pipes, produced at the Interpro Pipe and Steel Facility in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Attendees, including company and government leaders, added their signatures to one of the pipes before its installation as part of the expanded system.
Enbridge stated that the project involves approximately 140km of new pipeline and the addition of further compression facilities.
The company estimates the project will contribute more than C$3bn to the Canadian economy and over C$2.5bn to the BC economy over several decades.
Construction of the expansion is expected to create jobs for more than 2,500 workers, with participation from both local and Indigenous communities.
Ebel said: “Infrastructure like the Sunrise Expansion Program helps our country realise its goal of becoming a global energy superpower. It also ensures that British Columbians continue to have access to reliable and affordable natural gas to heat their homes and fuel their businesses.”
Hodgson said: “This expansion will provide reliable natural gas for homes, hospitals, schools, and BC’s growing low-carbon energy sector, while creating thousands of well-paying careers and new, diverse international trade opportunities.
“This is how we strengthen Canadian energy security, support affordability and prove once again what being an energy superpower looks like.”
According to Enbridge, the Sunrise Expansion Program remains on track for a planned in-service date in late 2028.
