Canada has granted approval for the Enbridge gas pipeline expansion, a C$4 billion ($2.93 billion) development involving the Westcoast natural gas pipeline system in British Columbia. The decision marks the first major pipeline project to proceed under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney, who secured election last year on a platform focused on economic growth to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, has committed to accelerating permitting timelines for large-scale resource developments in Canada, where such projects have historically faced delays due to regulatory and legal hurdles. The Enbridge gas pipeline expansion reflects these efforts to streamline approvals while supporting energy infrastructure growth.
Enbridge has been advancing its Sunrise Expansion project since 2022, aiming to increase natural gas capacity in British Columbia by 300 million cubic feet per day. The company submitted its federal regulatory application two years ago. According to Matthew Akman, the company’s president of gas transmission and midstream, the approval process for this Enbridge gas pipeline expansion moved faster than previous projects. However, he emphasized that Canada still needs to accelerate approvals further to remain competitive in global energy export markets and liquefied natural gas developments.
The Enbridge gas pipeline expansion is intended to address growing natural gas demand in British Columbia, particularly from LNG developments such as Woodfibre LNG, which is currently under construction on the Pacific coast and in which Enbridge holds a 30% stake.
“From our experience, because we do these things on both sides of the border, the U.S. is moving faster,” Akman said, adding Enbridge thinks Canada’s LNG potential could support construction of two or three more large gas pipelines to the Pacific coast. The company’s Westcoast pipeline network spans 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) from northeast British Columbia to the Canada-U.S. border, with an existing capacity of 3.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
The project scope includes the construction of new pipeline segments alongside the current system, the addition of gas compression capacity, and upgrades to existing infrastructure. Construction activities related to the Enbridge gas pipeline expansion are expected to begin in July, with operations targeted to commence in late 2028.
