SQUAMISH, B.C. - Ottawa is investing $200 million in Woodfibre LNG in Squamish, Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson announced on Friday, November 13, backing a project expected to become the world’s first net-zero liquefied natural gas facility when operations begin in late 2027.
The Woodfibre LNG project is being advanced in collaboration with the Squamish Nation, and it is the first major industrial project in Canadian history to be approved through a non-treaty, Indigenous-led environmental assessment process. Powered by British Columbia’s clean hydroelectricity, the facility is expected to have an emissions intensity roughly nine times lower than the global average for LNG export facilities, equivalent to avoiding the emissions of roughly 140,000 cars every year compared with a typical LNG facility.
The facility is now under construction and was originally designed to produce 2.1 million tonnes of LNG per year. The federal investment will let Woodfibre LNG maximize reliability, efficiency and production, and increase capacity to a target of between 2.5 and 2.6 million tonnes per year, a 19 to 24 percent increase that could power hundreds of thousands of homes. It will also enable exploration of a potential second phase of the project.
“Canada is blessed with abundant energy resources, unimpeded access to the Pacific Ocean and a highly skilled workforce, but we need to make strategic investments to turn these advantages into lasting economic strength, energy security and well-paying jobs for Canadians. With Indigenous partnership embedded from the outset and the world’s highest environmental standards, Canadians can be proud that Woodfibre LNG exemplifies our ability to responsibly build big projects that will help us master our own destiny for decades to come,” Hodgson said.
The project will support about 1,500 people working on site every day during construction and 100 full-time positions during operations, and by exporting low-carbon Canadian LNG to allies in Asia and beyond, it is meant to support Canada’s goal of doubling non-U.S. trade. For Surrey and the Lower Mainland, the jobs and supply chain reach beyond Squamish: construction and trades, services and manufacturing across Western Canada supply a project of this scale, and the Squamish Nation’s regulatory role sets a precedent for Indigenous economic participation that other B.C. projects are watching.
“With Woodfibre LNG now about three-quarters complete, powered by B.C. hydroelectricity and moving forward in partnership with the Squamish Nation, I welcome Ottawa’s investment. British Columbia has the resources the world needs, and unlocking them responsibly is how we supercharge our economy, create good jobs and build prosperity here at home. I look forward to working with the federal government, the Squamish Nation and Woodfibre LNG to see the first cargo sail from Howe Sound next year,” said Lorne Doerkson, Premier-Designate of British Columbia.
“This federal investment will support a stronger facility for the future, and it demonstrates what is possible when Indigenous values and decision-making are respected from the start. Squamish Nation holds a unique and independent regulatory role over Woodfibre LNG, and our agreement will apply to every aspect of this project, today and into the future,” said Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, Chairperson of the Squamish Nation.
Source: Natural Resources Canada, November 13, 2026
