Woodfibre LNG makes application to add 2nd 'floatel' to house workers

Woodfibre LNG says it is hoping to add a second "floatel" at its project site near Squamish, B.C., to house as many as 900 workers for its liquefied natural gas project. 

A statement from the company says it will submit an application to regulatory agencies to moor another floating hotel next to the ship that is already near the site for worker accommodations. 

The approval of the first floatel was controversial after the District of Squamish voted to deny Woodfibre the permit over concerns of women's safety, waste management and other issues, then B.C.'s Environmental Assessment Office stepped in and authorized the ship. 

The company says in a statement that the second ship would undergo the same regulatory review process "through multiple levels of regulatory oversight," and be moored near the project site about seven kilometres outside Squamish. 

Woodfire LNG says the MV Isabelle X, which is anchored offshore at the site, has minimized "any potential impact to the local housing market, local traffic or additional pressure on civic or health care services."

The Woodfibre LNG facility is expected to be completed by 2027 and will produce approximately 2.1 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year for export.

"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," said Luke Schauerte, CEO of Woodfibre LNG. 

The company says if the second floatel is approved, it would enter into a contract with Bridgemans Services Group, the same Canadian company that procured and retrofitted the MV Isabelle X.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, environmental organization My Sea to Sky, which focuses its work on protecting the Howe Sound area, executive director Tracey Saxby said the company "grossly underestimated" the need for worker accommodations. 

"The impact of this project keeps getting bigger," she said. 

"It's evident that the Woodfibre LNG project is overstretched on its budget and on its construction schedule — and they think bringing in more workers will solve their problems. The company is hastily opting for a cheap and temporary solution in a UNESCO biosphere region that leaves no legacy benefit to the communities in Howe Sound.

Saxby alleges the first floatel "blatantly ignores local jurisdiction," and said she's not sure how a second would be allowed to dock. 

My Sea to Sky said it is involved in a judicial review later this month regarding the first floatel.