2022 has been a busy year for the construction industry in British Columbia, Canada. Current projects represent a broad spectrum of development and infrastructure, from subway expansion to a slew of water infrastructure projects and energy works. The following are some of the biggest projects currently underway in the province.
7) THE BROADWAY SUBWAY PROJECT – $2.83 BILLION
The Broadway Subway Project is a 5.7 km extension of the Millennium Line, from VCC-Clark Station to Broadway and Arbutus. It will provide fast, frequent, and convenient SkyTrain service to B.C.’s second-largest jobs center, world-class health services, an emerging innovation and research hub, and growing residential communities.
The new line is expected to open in 2026.
6) OAKRIDGE CENTER REDEVELOPMENT – $4.5 BILLION
The Oakridge Center will have 14 towers, rising as high as 55 stories over the second-largest shopping center in the region. There will be enough retail and office space (810,000 square feet of the latter alone) to qualify this as a second downtown for the City of Vancouver, and there will be some 3 million square feet of residential including 2,300 condos, as well as 587 units of market rental and 420 of affordable rental. Add to that a 100,000-square-foot community center, a kilometer-long running track, a two-acre “food hall,” and a nine-acre park with more than 1,400 trees.
The center is expected to open in 2024.
5) COASTAL GASLINK PIPELINE PROJECT – 6.2 BILLION
The Coastal GasLink pipeline project is a 670 km-long gas pipeline being developed in British Columbia, Canada. The project is being developed by LNG Canada, which is a joint venture between four major energy companies including Shell (40%), PETRONAS (25%), PetroChina (15%), Mitsubishi Corporation (15%), KOGAS (5%).
The Coastal GasLink pipeline is being built as a connector to the proposed LNG processing facility and export terminal in Kitimat, British Columbia. It will run from Dawson Creek area to a reservoir in Douglas Channel near Kitimat, where the gas will be converted into a liquefied state for being exported to the global markets.
The construction is planned to be carried out in stages, with each stage covering a different section or spread of the pipeline. The project completion is scheduled for 2024.
4) IONA ISLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES – $10.4 BILLION
The design concept for the upgrade includes tertiary treatment and a range of ecological restoration projects. Upgrades will include secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment expansion and groundworks improvements. The facility operations will be completed by 2034 and additional digestors will be constructed by 2041. Crews are currently conducting in-water geological investigations.
3) TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE EXPANSION – 12.6 BILLION
The current Trans Mountain Pipeline carries about 300,000 barrels of oil daily between Alberta and Burnaby, BC. Approved in June 2019, the extension will twin the current system and bring the daily capacity to 890,000 barrels per day over 980 km of the new pipeline. The project also includes the construction of 12 new pump stations, the addition of three new berths at Burnaby’s Westridge Marine Terminal, and 19 new storage terminals across three locations. The project is expected to be in service by the end of 2023.
2) SITE C CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT – $16 BILLION
The third dam and hydroelectric station on the Peace River, the Site C Clean Energy Project, is expected to provide enough energy to power 450,000 homes in British Columbia. BC Hydro has focused on supporting local workers throughout this project, claiming the construction will provide over 13,000 workers with years of employment.
The projected $16 billion project got the go-ahead from B.C.’s provincial government in 2014, though it faced court challenges from some landowners and First Nations. The project was originally priced at $10.7 billion, but COVID-19 and some geotechnical risk issues that required foundation enhancements have delayed the schedule and caused the price increase. Construction of the project began in 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2024.
1) LNG CANADA TERMINAL – $40 BILLION
Canada’s new liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Kitimat has been called “the largest single private sector investment in Canadian history,” thanks to its $40 billion price tag.
The LNG Canada project is a joint venture between Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi, and Kogas, while JGC and Fluor have been chosen as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. The completed project features include LNG processing units, storage tanks, LNG loading lines, a marine terminal, a rail yard, and a water treatment facility.
JGC Flour announced last May that it planted the last of its 6,843 piles into the ground, the milestone marking the end of phase one of the plant piling program. The piles will serve as the foundation for the LNG processing modules and other infrastructure.
LNG expects to deliver its first cargo in 2025.
