The Kitimat LNG project is a multibillion-dollar project that is developing a massive processing and export facility for liquefied natural gas on the northwest coast of British Columbia. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a natural gas that is cooled to convert it into a liquid form through a process called liquefaction, which allows it to be stored and transported more easily and safely. After it is transported, it is warmed to return it to a gaseous state so that it can be delivered to customers through pipelines.
LNG Canada received provincial and federal environmental permits in 2015 and a 40-year license to export LNG from the National Energy Board of Canada in 2016. Construction started in 2018 but was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first phase of this project includes two liquefaction trains, two LNG storage tanks, and a marine terminal with two berths where LNG can be loaded onto ocean vessels that are specially designed to transport LNG safely and efficiently.
At $40 billion, this is the largest private infrastructure project in Canadian history. The 200-foot-tall export tank will be the largest export tank in the world, with the capacity to export 14 million tonnes of LNG per year. Such a huge project means hundreds of Kitimat LNG jobs for our members.
Rotating Schedule for Kitimat LNG Jobs
Our members with Kitimat LNG jobs get flown into Terrace, BC, and are then transported to the site by bus. They live on site during their working days, on a rotating schedule that depends on what part of Canada they are from. Our members from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba work 14 days on and then have 7 days off. Our members from eastern Canada (from Ontario to the Maritimes) are on a 20-day-on and 8-day-off schedule.
Workers are flown in and out of Kitimat on chartered flights, with one flight per trade each week. We have flight hubs across Canada, including in Calgary, Edmonton, Prince George, Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Regina, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Halifax, and St. John’s, making it convenient and easy to commute for a Kitimat LNG job.
Living Quarters for Kitimat LNG Jobs
Although it’s an industrial construction site, the surroundings are beautiful. Kitimat is right on the ocean, which means water views while building scaffolds. It’s important to have a pleasant personal environment to return to after long days working at your trade. The modern accommodations are comfortable and attractive.
Each worker gets a furnished room with a desk, sink, storage for clothing, cable TV, and an ensuite bathroom. There is a cafeteria available that serves free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. An incredible variety of food is available for bagged lunches to take to the site. There are shuttles to transport you to the construction site; so local transportation is taken care of to get you to and from work.
Opportunities to Witness Cutting-Edge Technology
This project involves exciting new technology for the construction of the LNG tank that you will not see anywhere else. Because LNG needs to be stored at a low temperature, there is a need for multiple walls with insulation between them. Robots are being used to weld sheets of steel after they are lined up by workers. Another example of innovative techniques is the way the 17-tonne roof of the tank was built inside the tank and then lifted using a huge amount of air pressure. There is no shortage of interesting construction techniques being used at the LNG Canada project!
