Enbridge Breaks Ground on $4-Billion Sunrise Pipeline Expansion

Enbridge Inc. has broken ground on the Sunrise Expansion, a $4-billion natural gas pipeline project in British Columbia. The project adds approximately 140 kilometres of new pipe and 11 looping segments to the existing 2,900-kilometre Westcoast Pipeline, which will increase transportation capacity by 300 million cubic feet per day.

CEO Greg Ebel stated the expansion will provide enough gas to power 1.5 million homes, with half intended for domestic use in British Columbia and the remainder for export to the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The project utilizes Canadian steel from InterPro Pipe and Steel. While an alliance of Indigenous communities holds a 12.5 per cent stake in the original Westcoast Pipeline, they have the option to take equity in the Sunrise expansion.

Federal approval for the project arrived in April. Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson praised the timeline as evidence of Canada's ability to deliver major infrastructure while maintaining environmental and Indigenous partnerships. However, Conservative Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the process, stating the project took too long for the Liberals to consider. Chief Dolleen Logan of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation noted that the project reflects the possibility of First Nations acting as partners in shaping projects that impact their lands.