LNG Canada Export Facility

In October 2018, LNG Canada made a final investment decision to build its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada. The project represents the largest energy investment in Canadian history.

The LNG export facility will liquefy surplus Canadian natural gas so it can be safely exported to help meet global energy demands. Fluor's joint venture partnership with JGC Corporation will provide engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction for the project.

Client's Challenge

LNG Canada is a joint venture comprising Shell (40%), PETRONAS (25%), PetroChina (15%), Mitsubishi Corporation (15%) and KOGAS (5%).

The facility will initially export approximately 14 million tons per year of LNG from two processing units, or trains. The project includes the option to expand to four trains in the future.

Fluor's Solution

The design of the facility meets some of the strictest regulatory standards in the world for safety, sustainability and environmental protection. In consultation with First Nations, work activities have been planned to minimize potential impacts to the environment.

The project will utilize a cost-effective modular construction approach. Large and complex modules will be assembled by several existing fabrication yards and transported to the project site via water, minimizing construction congestion and disruptions in the community.

The joint venture will focus on hiring locally and then throughout British Columbia and Canada. More than 4,500 jobs will be created at the peak of construction, which will require approximately 7,000 to 7,500 workers due to the shift work nature of employment. Workforce development and training programs will be available for local community members, and there will be a focus on developing positions for traditionally underrepresented individuals and groups. Fluor is also committed to providing contracting and procurement opportunities for First Nations and local businesses.

Conclusion

Fluor has had a strong presence in Canada for nearly 70 years, delivering its first Canadian project, a refinery in British Columbia, in the 1940s.

Fluor and JGC began site activities for the LNG Canada project in 2018, with peak activity at site anticipated to occur around mid-2021 to 2023. First LNG is expected around the middle of the next decade.

In February 2020, JGC Fluor and LNG Canada were jointly recognized by Shell with its Gold Hard Hat HSE award. The award recognized the project’s Design for Safe Construction program, which is focused on the elimination and significant reduction of hazards through design, providing an overall reduction to life-critical construction risk.