Project Background

NOVA Gas Transmission Limited (NGTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans Canada is planning to construct and operate the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project (NGTL 2021). The project will be an approximately 344 km of 1,219 mm (NPS 48) outside diameter natural gas pipeline and associated facilities in northwestern Alberta. It will start near Grande Prairie and run north of Calgary, including three compressor station additions. The project will “loop” adding new pipeline parallel or adjacent to, the existing NGTL System.

Construction on Section 58 activities and facilities started in December 2020 and Section 52 pipeline and related facilities are expected early 2021 pending all regulatory approvals.

Filing and Hearing

NGTL filed its application to the National Energy Board (NEB) on June 20, 2018 [Filing A92619] and the NEB issued its Hearing Order on December 4, 2018 [Filing A96357-5] outlining the steps for the oral public hearing. During the NEB’s review of the Project, all evidence, letters of comment, decisions and other relevant documents were filed and placed on the online document repository. These documents are all accessible to the public and can be found here: [Folder 3575553]

On August 9 the NEB released a letter to participants regarding the transition to Canada Energy Regulator (CER) as a result of the CER Act coming into force on August 28, 2019 [Filing C00242]. On August 22, 2019 Procedural Update No. 8 [Filing C01136] was issued which announced the temporary adjournment of some remaining hearing steps due to the new Act coming into force. The Lead Commissioner also needed to determine the membership of the panel for the remainder of the hearing process. On September 12, 2019 the CER Commission named the commissioners for the NGTL 2021 hearing [Filing C01605].

Project Map

NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. – 2021 System Expansion Project Map
View larger PDF version [PDF 402 KB]

Recommendation Report and Approval

February 19, 2020 – CER Recommendation Report for NGTL 2021 [Filing C04761]

Pursuant to Section 29 of CEAA 2012 and Section 52 of the NEB Act, the Commission submitted its Recommendation Report on the Project to the Minister of Natural Resources. The report provided the recommendation to the Governor-in-Council along with the Commission’s decisions and reasons, the conditions that would apply to the Certificate and a Section 58 Order, and six additional recommendations on matters outside the Commission’s mandate.

October 19, 2020 – Order-in-Council for NGTL 2021 and amended conditions

The Order-in-Council (or OIC) added one new condition and modified five conditions for the project. The new condition added is related to creating an Indigenous Working Group (IWG) for the project’s effects within the Little Smokey Caribou range. NGTL is required to work towards creating this IWG with any interested Indigenous communities identified as being potentially impacted by the project. This is the first condition of this kind for a CER-regulated facility.

October 23, 2020 – Letter and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Project was issued [Filing C09098]

The Governor-in-Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Natural Resources, directed the Commission of the CER to issue a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (GC-129) for the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project. The Commission then issued GC-129, which contained 35 conditions including the amendments set out by the Order-in-Council.

Post Approval Regulatory Work

Certificate and Compliance [Folder 3950124]

Detailed Route [Folder 4035620]

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