Trans Mountain Expansion route hearings adjusted, construction continues

The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) is making several procedural changes to remaining detailed route hearings for the country’s 590,000-b/d Trans Mountain Expansion crude pipeline project (TMEP) given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and advice from federal and provincial authorities aimed at protecting public health. Oral portions of all detailed route hearings will be replaced with alternate formats not requiring in-person attendance. The changes will allow detailed route hearings to proceed in a fair and transparent manner, while respecting the physical distance requirements for participants, CER said.

Trans Mountain is proceeding with TMEP construction in the meantime, with activity focused at the Westridge marine terminal and Burnaby storage terminal. Sheet pile installation at the Westridge terminal is expected to be completed in November 2020. Pipeline construction in Alberta is largely paused for spring thaw and break up and there is no active pipeline construction in British Columbia at this time. The company is also not currently housing workers in construction camps. The Trans Mountain system’s post-expansion capacity will be 890,000 b/d.

TMEP will use about 980 km of new pipeline, 73% of which will be laid in existing right-of-way, with 16% following other linear infrastructure such as telecommunications, hydro, or highways and 11% using new right-of-way. The project will also use 193 km of reactivated pipeline.

Construction includes 12 new pump stations and 19 storage tanks added to existing terminals in Burnaby (14), Sumas (1), and Edmonton (4). Three new berths will be built at Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby.

Once the new berths are completed and in service, the number of Aframax tankers loaded at the terminal could increase to about 34 per month, about 14% of current Port of Vancouver marine traffic. The Port of Vancouver doesn’t permit larger tankers, so they’re not part of the expansion. Changes at the dock complex include new loading facilities, fire protection, vapor recovery, and emergency response equipment.

To connect the Burnaby Terminal with the Westridge Marine Terminal, the expansion includes two new 4-km, 30-in. OD pipelines. These two new Westridge delivery lines, along with the existing 24-in. OD delivery line, will move liquids to tankers at the three new berths at Westridge Marine Terminal.

Once TMEP is complete, the existing Trans Mountain pipeline will carry refined products, synthetic crude oils, and light crude oils, with the capability for heavy crude oils. The new pipeline will carry heavier oils with the capability for transporting light crude oils.

CER first announced Mar. 16 that oral portions of all ongoing public hearings would not proceed as planned as a result of the pandemic. Oral cross-examination in the detailed route hearings will be replaced by written information requests. Site visits will not proceed. Participants will instead be able to file photos or videos as part of their evidence.

The Commission has also issued a letter to the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance seeking comments on alternate ways of sharing their Indigenous knowledge.

The Government of Canada approved TMEP in 2019 and construction is permitted in areas where applicable conditions have been satisfied and the detailed route of the pipeline has been approved, 70% of the pipeline’s total route (OGJ Online, June 19, 2019).

Twenty-two active detailed route hearings remain, located in portions of southwestern British Columbia stretching from Merritt to Burnaby. Since hearings for Segments 5, 6, and 7 were announced in January, five statements of opposition have been completely or partially withdrawn, and respective hearings cancelled.