FortisBC hoping to build LNG storage facility in Kelowna as natural gas shortfall looms

As the colonisation of Kelowna grows truthful excessively does powerfulness consumption, but its availability is rapidly becoming a concern.

“We’re looking astatine a imaginable shortage oregon shortfall of earthy state by the wintertime of 2026-27,” said Marcus Anderson, firm communications advisor for FortisBC.

In bid to code it, Fortis is readying to physique what it calls a small-scale liquified natural gas (LNG) retention installation truthful that powerfulness is disposable during highest wintertime days erstwhile request is done the roof.

“We’re not looking astatine storing it on-site passim the full year,” Anderson said.

“We’ll beryllium bringing it successful in the autumn months erstwhile it’s easier for our trucks to beryllium capable to question connected the highways and transport this state into the assemblage and it’ll conscionable beryllium stored done the wintertime and utilized connected an as-needed basis.”

The retention installation would beryllium constructed connected the tract of the existing electrical substation connected Spall Road.

According to Anderson, it volition person the capableness to store up to 300,000 gallons of LNG.

“It’s a six-tank liquefied earthy state retention and send-out facility,” Anderson said. “So essentially, six tanks storing LNG. The LNG volition beryllium re-gasified and past distributed done our system.”

FortisBC scheduled an accusation league for Monday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. astatine Hyatt Place Hotel successful Kelowna up of receiving support from the B.C. Utilities Commission.

Businesses Global News approached which backmost onto the tract were unaware of the accusation session.

“It’s benignant of concerning successful the consciousness that this is the archetypal I person been proceeding astir it and it seems similar a beauteous large project,” said Iver Sandaker, proprietor of Home for Dinner.

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Despite not knowing thing astir the project, Sandaker did explicit immoderate archetypal concerns.

“I deliberation the biggest happening for maine would beryllium traffic, getting successful and out, large trucks coming in, what benignant of instrumentality they’re going to use, it is conscionable going to disrupt adjacent much astir here?” Sandaker told Global News.

Fortis says it is hoping to prosecute with the nationalist to code each of the concerns being raised.

“I deliberation a batch of radical are not wholly acquainted with what liquefied earthy state is, you know, and its properties and however it behaves, “ Anderson said.

“It’s a non-corrosive, non-toxic, non-explosive worldly … it’s a harmless project.”

Fortis would similar to commencement operation sometime successful 2026.