BCUC Approves FortisBC’s Tilbury Liquefied Natural Gas Storage Expansion Project
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) approved FortisBC Energy Inc.’s (FortisBC) application for the Tilbury Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Storage Expansion project.
The project includes constructing a new, larger LNG storage tank at FortisBC’s Tilbury facility in Delta, BC. The new tank will replace an existing 56-years old storage tank that has reached the end of its service life.
Following a transparent and public review process that included submissions from eight interveners and feedback from individual British Columbians, the BCUC determined the project is in the public interest.
In its decision, the BCUC agreed that replacing the existing LNG storage tank is necessary for FortisBC to continue to reliably meet customers’ increasing energy demands on peak days.
The BCUC also found that building a larger capacity tank will address the resiliency risk of FortisBC’s natural gas delivery system. Currently, FortisBC receives 85% of the natural gas it delivers to customers from a single third-party pipeline. The expanded LNG storage will help mitigate the risk of supply disruption by providing back-up storage of natural gas. Two-thirds of the new storage tank will be set aside as a reserve in the event of unexpected supply interruptions, while the remaining volume will be used to meet customers’ energy needs on high demand days.
FortisBC confirmed that the new storage tank will be used exclusively to store and supply natural gas to customers. It will not be used to provide LNG for marine fueling or for LNG export. As a condition of approval, any future changes to the storage tank’s use will require further approval.
The project is expected to be in service by 2030 at an estimated cost of $1.14 billion. Over the six-year construction period, the delivery portion of customers’ rates will increase incrementally by an average of approximately 1.78% per year. Once constructed, the new storage tank is expected to reduce the need for external gas storage and delivery, generating long-term cost savings for customers.
Having found the project to be in the public interest, the BCUC issued FortisBC a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Tilbury LNG Storage Expansion Project.
For more information about the BCUC’s decision or FortisBC’s application, please see the proceeding page.
Background
After review of FortisBC’s initial application for approval of the project, the BCUC required FortisBC to provide substantially more information about the condition of its existing equipment at Tilbury and the risks of supply disruptions to properly assess the need for the project.
Public utilities must apply to the BCUC for approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity before beginning construction or operation of a public utility plant or system, or an extension of either, under section 45 of the Utilities Commission Act.
About the BCUC
The BCUC is an independent regulatory body, responsible for regulating BC’s energy utilities, basic automobile insurance rates, and intra-provincial pipeline rates. It is the BCUC’s role to balance the interests of ratepayers and other stakeholders with the interests of the businesses it regulates. The BCUC carries out fair and transparent reviews of matters within its jurisdiction and considers public input where public interest is impacted. The BCUC is also the Administrator of BC’s Fuel Price Transparency Act and is responsible for collecting and publishing information about gasoline and diesel activities in BC, in an effort to promote competitiveness and public confidence in the fuel market.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Kelsey Newsham
Senior Communications Specialist
Phone: 604.660.4713
Email: media@bcuc.com
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