Nexwlelexwem/Bowen Island – July 12, 2022 – Bowen Council reaffirming its position of non-support for the Woodfibre LNG project. The motion was brought forward by Councillors Fast and Nicholson.
The motion was a direct result of the presentation on May 24, 2022 After the presentation to Bowen Island, the Woodfibre LNG’s reps were questioned the Woodfibre LNG reps after the company’s presentation.
It let to the astonishing answer by the Woodfibre LNG spokesperson responding to a question of Councillor Hocking.
Councillor Hocking had asked if the company had done a full life cycle analysis for green house gasses emitted by the project compared against that of coal used in power plants in Asia, as the company had been making claims that its LNG would be emitting less.
WLNG spokesperson Diamond responded:
“Thank you very much for that question. I have mentioned that we are developing our net-zero pathway. And one of the first stages of the pathway is to have a third party firm validate our remissions, not the just the facility itself,…
This response is astonishing as it clarifies that the company has been making claims for years without a shred of evidence.
And this is not a one-off. In a presentation to the District of Squamish Council, Spokesperson Kennedy made similar claims about how Woodfibre LNG “will off-set some of the 60 to 80 coal fired power plants currently planned in China.”
Curiously, the only life cycle analysis comparing BC LNG with coal used in 46% efficient ultrasupercritical coal power plants in Asia, done by earth scientist J. David Hughes found: over the first 20 years, exported B.C. LNG to Asia will be 27% worse in green house gas emissions than coal used in those coal fired power plants in Asia.
Even with Woodfibre LNG’s hydro powered cooling process, its LNG will still be emitting 23% more green house gasses than coal. So we are not sure how this “off-setting” exactly works.
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Unfamiliar with life cycle analysis? Read more about it here