Norwegian company has plans for LNG export project in Quebec

MONTREAL — As Canada looks to fast-track major projects that could reduce its dependence on the United States, a new subsidiary of a Norwegian energy company says it wants to build a liquefied natural gas export facility in Quebec.

Marinvest Energy Canada says there is a strong business case for an LNG project in Quebec that would supply markets in Europe.

The project is in early stages, and the company has not publicly shared many details, but its representatives have been meeting with officials in Quebec and Ottawa for months.

The plans were first made public Friday by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, which reported the development would include a liquefaction plant and marine export terminal, as well as several hundred kilometres of pipeline.

Speaking to reporters in Sept-Îles, Que. on Friday, Premier François Legault confirmed that members of his team have met with the proponents of the project, which he said would be located in Baie-Comeau, Que., along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in the province’s Côte-Nord region.

But he added the project is “very preliminary.”

“The first thing we’ll look at is the economic benefits. Are there paying jobs for Quebecers? Is there revenue that can flow to Quebecers?” he said. “If it pays off for Quebecers, we’ll look at it. If it doesn’t pay off for Quebecers, we won’t look at it.”

The news comes days after Parliament passed a major projects bill, which gives the government sweeping new powers to speed up permitting for what Prime Minister Mark Carney calls “nation-building projects.”

In Alberta on Friday, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson declined to say whether an LNG project in Quebec would be deemed in the national interest. “If Quebec wants to advance that project with the proponent, I’m sure they’ll bring it forward and it will be evaluated,” he told reporters.

The Quebec government rejected a proposal for an LNG facility in Quebec’s Saguenay region in 2021, amid widespread opposition to the project.

But in recent months, Legault has repeatedly said Quebecers are more open to fossil-fuel projects in the province, due to the ongoing trade war with the United States.

Greg Cano, chief operating officer for Marinvest Energy Canada, said there is a “clear and growing demand” for LNG in Europe, and Quebec is “strategically well-positioned to meet this need.”

“In our view, Quebec can play a key role in helping diversify export options for Canadian natural gas, especially at a time when relying solely on the U.S. market presents growing challenges,” he said in an email statement.