Rabaska : The Project

With very limited hydrocarbon resources, Quebec and Ontario must import almost all the natural gas they consume. In this regard, Quebec and Eastern Ontario are doubly dependent, since their gas comes exclusively from sedimentary basin deposits in Western Canada and is imported using a single means of transport-the TransCanada pipeline network.

This double dependence makes both regions highly vulnerable, particularly because gas prices are subject to the pressures of supply and demand, and both provinces are at the eastern tip of the TransCanada pipeline.

Today, natural gas meets about 12% of Quebec's energy needs and 34% of Ontario's.

Steady growth in the use of this form of energy has occurred not only in Quebec and Ontario, but throughout North America. Natural gas is becoming increasingly popular thanks in part to characteristics that make it especially attractive, particularly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than other fossil fuels.

However, natural gas production is rapidly leveling off in North America, which holds about 4% of the world's reserves and consumes some 30% of worldwide supply.

While natural gas prices are rising in North America as conventional deposits are depleted, demand for this form of energy is steadily growing.

This trend was particularly pronounced in 2005, when climate-related natural disasters caused natural gas prices to surge to levels three to four times higher than in the late 1990s.

The goal of the Rabaska LNG terminal project is to give Quebec and Eastern Ontario an alternative gas supply source. In addition to ensuring a more secure supply, increased resource availability will create a more competitive environment that will benefit all consumers, particularly the some 50,000 commercial, industrial, and institutional customers in Quebec who now use natural gas.

Studies ordered by Rabaska—notably from Energy and Environmental Analysis Inc. (EEA)—show that the project could lead to an approximate 5% drop in natural gas prices. The EEA study can be consulted in Volume 2, Appendix G of the Rabaska impact study at http://www.rabaska.net/pdf_toc1.html.

LNG transport technology, used for over 45 years in many regions of Europe, Asia, and the United States, was developed to bring consumer countries closer to the large reserves of many producer countries. It offers an attractive alternative as North American resources are depleted.

When natural gas is liquefied after been cooled to -160°C, it takes up only 1/600th of its volume in a gaseous state. Liquefied natural gas can be transported by ship economically and safely.

Increased natural gas use also helps meet the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction objectives set out in the Kyoto Protocol by replacing the consumption of fuel oil and coal, which emit millions of tons of GHG and pollutants into the atmosphere each year.

THE PARTNERS

The project promoter is Rabaska, a limited partnership made up of Gaz Métro, Enbridge, and GDF SUEZ (formerly Gaz de France). These firms have pooled their resources and experience to build and operate the LNG terminal.

THE TERMINAL

THE SITE

With its access to a deepwater port, east-end Lévis has long been identified as the host site for major industrial projects. In the 1970s and 1980s, projects to establish an LNG terminal and aluminum smelter on the site were considered. In its 1987 development plan, the City of Lévis identified a large area in the east end as an industrial port zone. This was reflected in the city’s master plan and zoning regulations. In the years that followed, various south shore economic development organizations proposed that the east-end Lévis site be used for major industrial projects, as seen in the brochure Le parc industrialo-portuaire, une ouverture sur le monde (The industrial port zone, open to the world), published under the guidance of Conseil régional de concertation et de développement de Chaudière-Appalaches (CRCD-CA). The Rabaska LNG terminal will be located at the eastern part of the industrial port zone to ensure the security of the project’s maritime and land facilities.

The purpose of an LNG terminal is to accommodate LNG tankers, unload their cargo, and temporarily store it in tanks before vaporizing it, i.e., returning it to its original gaseous state. The gas is then pumped continuously into the interprovincial transport network, and from there to the Quebec and Ontario distribution networks.

LNG terminal designers make technical design choices that influence various aspects of the project. Below are some of the solutions chosen for the Rabaska terminal, together with their main advantages:

To safely accommodate tankers, the water must be at least 15 meters deep. Rabaska designers opted for a finger pier and jetty extending out over the river instead of dredging the riverbed and building a shorter jetty. In order to minimize disruption to aquatic wildlife and impact on the environment, they also opted for a pile jetty rather than a rock jetty.

While new technologies are currently under development, the only proven technology currently available is the "jointed" offloading arm. This technology was therefore chosen for tanker unloading operations.

The two cryogenic steel pipes that will link the finger pier to the LNG tanks will be placed inside a buried, climate-controlled concrete caisson to prevent corrosion. By choosing this option over aerial offloading lines, the designers have not only improved facility safety but also significantly reduced the visual impact of this essential facility component.

After being unloaded from the tankers, the LNG is temporarily stored in tanks to await vaporization and then release into the pipeline network for delivery to consumers. The tanks built in Lévis will consist of two containers, one inside the other. The internal tank will be made of cryogenic steel, and the outer wall of prestressed concrete approximately 1 meter thick. These tanks are called "failsafe" because they are designed to prevent any uncontrolled emission of liquid or gas into the atmosphere, even in the event of a leak in the internal tank. This technology is assuredly the best and safest to date. In addition, the tanks will be placed at the center of retention basins 10 meters deep capable of holding the entire amount of LNG.

Most of the LNG delivered to Lévis will have an energy value that will need to be adjusted before it is released into the transport network and distributed to consumers. Rabaska engineers have chosen a solution that consists of injecting a small amount of nitrogen into the natural gas to adjust its calorific capacity through dilution.

Before it is released into the pipeline network, the LNG must be reheated and returned to a gaseous state. Of the various technologies available for this process, Rabaska engineers have chosen "submerged combustion regasifiers." This technology consists of circulating LNG through coiled pipes submerged in water heated by natural gas burners. It uses little water and is both efficient and able to adapt to variations in flow. It is certainly the best-suited technology to the climatic and environmental conditions on site.

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Guardhouse

Access to the site is permanently controlled by dedicated personnel in the guardhouse and, when a vessel is docked, in the jetty security hut (located at the entrance to the jetty area, north of Route 132). The entire Rabaska facility will be protected by a security perimeter that is monitored 24 hours a day by an electronic surveillance system and periodic rounds by security personnel.
Administration

The administrative building will house various operations and administrative functions, as well as Rabaska management.
Workshop and warehouse

The bulk of maintenance operations will be conducted onsite by terminal personnel, who will have the workshops, rooms, and equipment required to perform this work.
Fire station

Terminal employees will be trained in firefighting and have all the equipment they need, including individual protective suits, mobile equipment (trucks, mobile extinguishers), and fixed equipment (see 7 and 8) to respond as quickly as possible in the event of an accident.
Control room

Round-the-clock human and computer surveillance of the entire LNG terminal will be conducted from the control room. Backup diesel generators will supply power to essential personnel and facility safety equipment in the event of an outage, even if it is prolonged.
Laboratory

The laboratory will be used to store gas samples (outside), conduct occasional analyses, and check the calibration of automatic analyzers installed closest to the facility.
Fire water storage tank and fire pumps

A 7,000 m³ fire water storage tank in which electric and diesel fire pumps are submerged will supply a facility-wide network and provide the water required by all fixed firefighting equipment (distribution lines, foam generators, fire hydrants and nozzles, etc.).
Utility building

The utility building will include a variety of equipment required for terminal operation: compressed air production, etc.
Main substation

The terminal will be supplied by two 230 kV Hydro-Québec powerlines. The main substation will include transformers, switches, and electrical panels to reduce voltage and distribute power to the entire terminal.
Nitrogen production unit

Nitrogen will be used primarily to adjust the energy value of the natural gas released into the transport network. It will be manufactured onsite from three cryogenic air fractionation units that produce 99.99% pure nitrogen gas. This conventional process based on the compression, cooling, and depressurization of the elements in air (nitrogen, oxygen, and argon) uses no other coolant.
Gasline loading station

When the gas leaves the metering station, it will be released into the transport network via the gasline loading station. An emergency shutdown valve will isolate the terminal from the pipeline in the event of an accident at either end. A pigging station will be used for pipeline maintenance operations.
Vaporizers

Submerged combustion vaporizers will progressively heat the LNG to return it to a gaseous state. This technology consists of circulating the LNG through coiled pipes entirely submerged in warm water. Natural gas burners maintain the water temperature between 20°C and 50°C, and the combustion smoke bubbles through the water bath, ensuring maximum energy efficiency (nearly 100%).
Dispatch pumps

Each tank will be equipped with a number of low-pressure drawdown pumps submerged in the LNG. These will force the LNG toward the high-pressure dispatch pumps, which will raise its pressure to that of the pipeline network.
Boiloff gas compressors

Despite the high quality of insulation materials, a minimal amount of heat reaches the equipment that contains the LNG, causing slight evaporation of the LNG. The evaporated gas is recovered and later reincorporated into the LNG using boiloff gas compressors and a recondenser. Thanks to this recovery process, the terminal produces no natural gas emissions during normal operations.
Failsafe double-walled LNG tanks

Measuring 90 meters in diameter and 46 meters high, the two tanks can each hold 160,000 m³ of LNG at -160°C and virtually atmospheric pressure. The outer tank wall will be made of 90 cm thick prestressed concrete, and the inner tank containing LNG will be made of cryogenic steel ranging in thickness from 1 cm at the top to 3 cm at the base. It will be surrounded by approximately 1 meter of thermal insulation. All pipelines transporting LNG will pass through the top of the tanks to ensure complete tank wall integrity.
Tertiary retention basin

The two LNG tanks will be built right on the rock in a 10 meter deep basin. The basins will measure approximately 150 meters wide by 150 meters long. These basins will help significantly reduce the project's visual impact.
Flarestack

The flarestack is a safety device that will safely evacuate the gas in the event of stoppage of the evaporation recovery equipment. Aside from its pilot, the stack will not be activated during normal terminal operation.
Debris basin

During operation, as during the construction phase, drainage ditches will help collect runoff in contaminant-free areas. This water will be routed to a debris basin before it is released into Saint-Claude Creek. As needed, the basin will be equipped with filtration devices, and quality controls will be performed.
Measuring station

On leaving the vaporizers, the natural gas will be routed to a commercial measuring station in order to determine the volume and composition of the gas released into the transport network.
Service corridor

A service corridor approximately 1.3 km long will accommodate the various pipes and connections needed to link the shore and land facilities. It will include two LNG discharge lines, one natural gas pipe, compressed air and water pipes, electric cables, and a service corridor for the use of terminal personnel.

The LNG and gas pipes will be made of cryogenic stainless steel. They will be insulated, designed to withstand very low temperatures, and protected inside a concrete caisson buried beneath the ground between the river and the land facility. Pipe segments will be welded to prevent LNG leaks.
Shore facility

The shore facility will be built on a rock platform. It will primarily be made up of the LNG pressurization pumps that force the LNG toward the tanks when tankers are unloaded.
Jetty

The jetty will accommodate LNG tankers. It will include the finger pier, nine docking/berthing structures, and an approximately 500 meters trestle bridge connecting the finger pier to the shore facility.

The finger pier will be located in water 15 meters deep (at low tide) to accommodate tankers without having to dredge the St. Lawrence River bed. The finger pier and docking/berthing structures will be designed to withstand the pressures caused by tankers, seismic activity, and ice.

The jetty will be equipped with four offloading arms for transferring the LNG from the tankers to the storage tanks on land.
Concealment berms

Concealment berms will be set up around the terminal to reduce its visual impact, notably from Route 132 and Île d'Orléans. These berms will be planted with vegetation to blend in with the existing landscape. To the south, the existing wooded area will be extended to reduce the visual impact from homes located south of Highway 20 and from the highway itself.
New Saint-Claude Creek bed

Before work begins, Saint-Claude Creek-which currently runs through the site-will be rerouted south of the worksite. Its new banks will be revegetated to provide a new habitat for local wildlife.
Tunnel under Route 132

When work starts, a tunnel will be built under Route 132 to enable workers and trucks to travel to and from the worksite without interfering with local traffic.
Terminal access road

The main access road for personnel and visitors will be from Route Lallemand to the western entrance of the site.

THE PIPELINE

The Rabaska LNG terminal will be connected to the Canadian gas transport network through an underground pipe linking the Lévis facility to the TQM Pipeline distribution station next to Jean-Lesage Highway in Saint-Nicolas. This natural gas can meet the needs of all Quebec and Eastern Ontario customers.

The 610 mm (24") diameter pipe will extend approximately 42 kilometers. It will be installed in a permanent right-of-way 23 meters wide at a general depth of 1.2 meters in farmland and 0.9 meters in woodland. The maximum operating pressure will be 9,930 kPa.

Some sections of the pipeline will be parallel or adjacent to the proposed St. Lawrence Pipeline, which will allow the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis to be linked to Ultramar's Montreal facilities. For these sections, the width of the permanent right-of-way will be reduced from 23 meters to 18 meters.

The pipe will require installation of a delivery gate adjacent to that of TQM Pipeline, as well as a pigging station and an automatic block valve at each end. A third block valve will be placed approximately midway. The proposed pipeline, construction of which will take 12 months, represents an investment of over $65 million.

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MAIN TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Gas pipeline diameter: 610 mm
Operating pressure: 9,930 kPa
Approximate length: 42 km
Minimum ground cover:
- Woodland: 0.9 meters
- Farmland: 1.2 meters
- Regulated watercourse: 1.5 meters
Cathodic protection
Automatic block valves
Permanent easement width: 23 meters (18 meters for the section parallel to the St-Lawrence Pipeline)
- Width of temporary worksites required during construction: 10 meters, adjacent to permanent easement
- Temporary worksites of varying dimensions for the clearing of obstacles
Delivery gate to be built near the TQM Pipeline gas facility
Construction and design in accordance with the norms and standards in effect

MAIN MAINTENANCE AND SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS

Air and land patrols
Maintenance of the permanent easement to sustain herbaceous plant growth
Network surveillance 365 days a year, 24 hours a day from the control station
Pipe interior inspection program

The gas pipeline will be added to the marine and land facilities to transport natural gas from the LNG terminal to Saint-Nicolas for distribution by TQM Pipeline.

A new supply source will lead to changes to the TQM Pipeline and probably also to the TransCanada facilities needed to distribute and then transport the required volumes from Saint-Nicolas to the West. Essentially, the pipeline between Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures will have to be doubled over a total length of approximately 13.5 kilometers, including 3.6 kilometers in the existing under-river tunnel. Two compression stations will also have to be added between Saint-Nicolas and Montreal. Work will be completed by TransCanada and TQM Pipeline after obtaining the required authorizations.

The electricity required for Rabaska operations will be supplied by two new 230 kV powerlines that will link the terminal to existing lines south of Chemin Saint-Roch, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the terminal. Three or four towers per line with a combined right-of-way of about 60 meters will have to be built to link the terminal to the existing lines. Hydro-Québec will oversee construction of these powerlines after obtaining the required authorizations.

THE WHY AND WHEREFORE

THE PARTNERS

THE TERMINAL

THE SITE

THE PIPELINE

MAIN TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

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