AltaGas celebrates grand opening of new propane export terminal

AltaGas held their grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, May 28, to mark the first propane shipment from their new Prince Rupert terminal.

The Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal, commonly referred to as RIPET, will export around 1.2 million tonnes of propane every year. Half of this will be bought by Japanese-based company Astomos Energy Corporation to provide energy to the island nation.

The Maple Gas sits in the harbor in anticipation of loading its first shipment. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

Held at the North Coast Meeting and Convention Centre, the ceremony took place amongst the backdrop of the inner harbour, where the liquefied propane gas (LPG) carrier Maple Gas was situated. The 47,000 tonne vessel can travel between Prince Rupert and Japan in just 10 days, a marked improvement on the 25 days it takes for propane to reach Japan from providers in the Gulf Coast.

The AltaGas brass were all present at the ceremony, which included speeches from president and CEO Randall Crawford, and senior vice president of energy exports Dan Woznow.

AÂ fireÂ fightingÂ tugboatÂ performedÂ aÂ seriesÂ ofÂ acrobaticÂ maneuvers,Â includingÂ aÂ displayÂ ofÂ itsÂ fireÂ hoseÂ capabilities.Â (AlexKurialÂ /Â TheÂ NorthernÂ View)

Also in attendance were the executives of Astomos Energy, along with a number of Ts’msyen leaders. Lax Kw’alaams mayor John Helin spoke to how the terminal will benefit the people of the coastal community.

Premier John Horgan sent in a pre-recorded message that was played for the audience, lauding the project’s job creation and efforts to observe environmental standards.

The event concluded with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a display of “tugboat acrobatics” by a firefighting tugboat in the harbour. Attendees then had an option to take a tour of Ridley Island to view the new facility.

Alex Kurial | Journalist

Alex Kurial