If you were looking out over Howe Sound on Saturday, you may have seen a bright yellow heavy load carrier sailing under the Netherlands flag, guided by tugs heading toward Squamish.
It was hauling the first of seven liquefied natural gas (LNG) modules heading to the Woodfibre LNG site.
The pipe rack modules are the first large-scale modular components of the under-construction LNG export facility to arrive at the site for installation.
Now that they have arrived in Squamish, the modules—which were built at the QMW McDermott Fabrication Yard in Qingdao City, China—will be moved into place and mounted on their permanent foundations.
According to the company, the modules are pre-assembled structural steel frameworks that will house and support piping carrying LNG from the facility’s liquefaction unit to floating storage tanks and the loading facility.
From there, LNG will be loaded onto carriers for delivery to overseas markets.
Now at the site, about seven kilometres southwest from downtown Squamish on the shores of Howe Sound, the modules will be offloaded through the project’s newly completed marine offloading dock, which has been designed to handle the delivery of large modules throughout the construction phase.
“This is a huge milestone for the Woodfibre LNG project as it’s the start of our facility going vertical—where people will really start to see the facility take shape,” said Luke Schauerte, CEO of Woodfibre LNG, in a news release. “But it’s also bigger than that. These first modules are a significant step forward in diversifying Canada’s energy export market, providing global customers with responsibly produced energy and ensuring Canadians receive maximum benefit for their resources.”
All told, 19 modules are set to arrive at the Woodfibre LNG site throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, the company said in the release.
The modules will range in size from a 126-tonne pipe rack to an almost 11,000-tonne liquefaction unit that covers roughly the same amount of space as a football field.
“We are doing everything we can at Woodfibre LNG to bring our product to market as soon as possible. With modules arriving, we’ve hit a tremendously exciting and important phase where our site will change rapidly over the coming months. We’re focused on working safely and efficiently to move this project forward and complete the province’s first net zero LNG export facility,” added Schauerte.
