Premier David Eby said he looks forward to celebrating a soon-to-be-announced major deal to export liquified natural gas (LNG) from B.C.’s Ksi Lisims LNG to Germany.
His comments Tuesday came after Bloomberg and other media outlets reported that a deal had been reached between Ksi Lisims and German company SEFE.
Federal Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson is expected to formally announce the agreement in Vancouver on Wednesday.
“I’m so glad to the federal government is joining us to take the foundation that has been built in British Columbia … and take it to the next level,” Eby told reporters following a meeting of Western premiers in Kananaskis, Alberta.
“I feel like British Columbia has thrown the ball up and it’s given the federal government the chance to take that alley-oop and dunk it,” he said.
The proposed Ksi Lisims LNG export facility off the northwest coast of B.C. is being advanced by the Nisga’a Nation, Rockies LNG and Texas-based Western LNG.
The project has been greenlit by the provincial and federal governments and is waiting on a final investment decision before it can begin construction.
“A major announcement with a European partner of purchasing LNG gets us that much closer to final investment decision of this more than $10 billion investment in British Columbia and Canada,” said Eby.
Ksi Lisims has so far mainly targeted markets in Asia for exports, and has already signed 20-year deals with Asian companies owned by Shell and TotalEnergies.
B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix on Tuesday didn’t provide any details of the deal but said it would be “good news” for Ksi Lisims and British Columbia to have diversified markets.
Once operational, Ksi Lisims would be able to export about 12 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year.
The facility is among the projects the federal Major Projects Office is considering for potential fast-tracking.
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