Woodfibre LNG to Add 900 Staff, Applies for Second Housing Floatel

Woodfibre LNG said it plans to submit an application to regulatory agencies to add a second workplace accommodation floatel at the Woodfibre LNG project site in British Columbia.

The application seeks regulatory approval to moor a second floatel adjacent to the current floatel, the MV Isabelle X, to add approximately 900 employees to the construction project, the company said in a news release.

The MV Isabelle X is moored at the Woodfibre LNG project site, located 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) near Squamish. Once complete, the Woodfibre LNG facility will produce approximately 2.1 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year, according to the release.

The requirement to house the project’s non-local construction workforce on the floatel was established through an amendment to its environmental assessment certificate approved by the provincial government in November 2023. The Squamish Nation approved an amendment to its environmental assessment agreement with the company to support the floatel in December 2023. This second floatel will now undergo the same regulatory review process through multiple levels of regulatory oversight, Woodfibre LNG said.

Woodfibre LNG said it plans to enlist the services of Bridgeman Services Group, who procured and retrofitted the MV Isabelle X, to do the same for the second floatel.

“It is clear that Canada is looking to diversify its energy markets, and when complete, Woodfibre LNG will do exactly that by making more Canadian LNG available to Asian markets,” WoodFibre LNG CEO Luke Schauerte said. “If approved, the addition of a second floatel creates more than 900 new jobs and allows Woodfibre LNG to answer the call to advance and diversify Canadian energy exports, provide more employment opportunities sooner and accelerate construction of the world’s first net zero LNG export facility”.

“Bridgemans is proud to undertake the retrofit, delivery and operation of a second floatel to the same high standards set by the MV Isabelle X,” Bridgemans President Brian Grange said. “As a Vancouver-based Canadian company, it’s an honour to contribute to a project that strengthens Canada’s role in global energy. The MV Isabelle X showcases Canadian innovation and sets a new benchmark for workforce accommodation on the water”.

The MV Isabelle X has provided “premium live-work accommodation onsite outside of Squamish, minimizing any potential impact to the local housing market, local traffic or additional pressure on civic or health care services,” the company said.

The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned by Woodfibre LNG Limited Partnership, which is owned 70 percent by Pacific Energy Corporation (Canada) Limited and 30 percent by Enbridge Inc. The Woodfibre LNG facility will be the world’s first net zero LNG facility when it is completed in 2027, according to the release.

Woodfibre LNG is the first industrial project in Canada to recognize a non-treaty Indigenous government, Squamish Nation, as a full environmental regulator, the company said.

Schauerte was appointed to the role of the company’s CEO in November 2024. He previously served at LNG Canada as vice president for assets, helping to guide the construction and start-up of Canada’s first large-scale LNG export facility. Prior to LNG Canada, Schauerte served in a range of leadership roles with Shell both in Canada and internationally, according to an earlier statement.

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