With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1181452
B . C . L N G A L L I A N C E LNG bunkering at its facilities, in addition to helping develop LNG infrastructure in ports around the globe to reduce emissions and cut air pollution. NG can lower ship exhaust emissions of: Sulphur oxides (SOx) by over 90 per cent, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by up to 85 per cent, particulate matter (PM) by over 85 per cent, carbon dioxide (CO2) by up to 29 per cent, and GHG by up to 19 per cent. The emissions advantage of LNG is resulting in increased demand in the marine industry. In May, Seaspan Ferries announced plans to add two LNG-battery hybrid vessels to its fleet in 2021. They will complement Seaspan's two LNG vessels that "have operated with emission reductions of over 50 percent compared to traditional vessels," according to Seaspan Marine Transportation CEO Frank Butzelaar. (Likewise BC Ferries has ordered four new LNG-electric hybrid vessels for its fleet.) In addition to its partnership with SEA/ LNG, VFPA is looking at the potential for container trucks to use alternative fuels, and this summer the City of Vancouver passed a motion to study what's being done to reduce emissions from heavy trucks on the Clark-Knight corridor, one of Greater Metro Vancouver's busiest cargo-transport routes. Meanwhile, the high cost of traditional fuels over the past year has resulted in a strong uptake in LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks throughout B.C., with Yen Bros. Food Service and City Wide Produce among several food companies investing in such vehicles. This switch brings the added benefit of reducing the amount of particulate matter that contributes to air pollution and smog across the Lower Mainland, compared to diesel trucks. "The reasons we are using LNG here in the Lower Mainland—cutting air pollution and reducing GHG emissions—are the exact same benefits that residents in cities across Asia are hoping for," said Bryan Cox, president and CEO of the BC LNG Alliance, the leading voice and advocate for the LNG industry in B.C. "Air pollution was named as the greatest environmental threat to human health this year by the World Health Organization because it is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths each year. LNG produces almost none of the particulate matter that contributes to air pollution. B.C. will produce LNG with the lowest emissions anywhere in the world—this is why LNG from B.C. can help cut air pollution and help reduce global emissions." Wenran Jiang, senior fellow, UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, says it's vital that B.C. participate in the global growth of LNG. "A lot of focus is being directed internationally on how fossil fuels can be phased out—with coal being the biggest polluter—and LNG has great potential as an alternative fuel as countries such as China transition away from fossil fuel." Jiang adds, "We produce some of the cleanest natural gas in the world, better than Russia, the Middle East, and even Australia, and this gives us a tremendous competitive advantage. So we're ideally poised to help countries such as China, India and beyond achieve substantial CO2 emission reductions and air quality improvements." Indeed, as environmental standards intensify, LNG consumption growth is starting to assume unprecedented proportions. As part of its 2019 annual report, the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (a non- profit organization that promotes the development of activities related to LNG including importing and processing) notes that in 2018, the LNG market grew by 8 percent, with deliveries at 314 million tonnes. This was nearly a 30 percent rise from 2015 and over a tripling since 2000. LNG now accounts for 14 percent of gas use globally. And there is currently some $1.4 trillion in LNG development across the globe, with the U.S., Canada, Russia and Australia leading. The amount of investment is understandable given that yearly global demand is forecast to soar three to seven percent for decades. It has been estimated that in the next five years, one-third of global LNG demand is expected to come from China alone, as the country looks to tackle air pollution and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by replacing higher-emitting coal as a primary energy source. Cox credits FortisBC for taking a leadership role in advancing LNG use "WE PRODUCE SOME OF THE CLEANEST NATURAL GAS IN THE WORLD, BETTER THAN RUSSIA, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND EVEN AUSTRALIA, AND THIS GIVES US A TREMENDOUS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE." continued on pg. 58 BC Ferries is using LNG on several routes to cut emissions and air pollution.