The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) has granted the final permits for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, allowing it to start commercial operations. The CAD34bn (US$25bn) expansion comprehends 988 kilometres of new pipeline, 193 kilometres of reactivated pipeline, 12 new pump stations, 19 new storage tanks, and three new berths at Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby. Altogether, the Trans Mountain pipeline is now able to transport crude oil, allowing the company to load cargoes from all three berths, nearly tripling the flow of crude from Alberta to Canada's Pacific coast to 890 kb/d, substantially boosting the country’s oil export capacity. With operations starting on 1 May 2024, tankers should be able to load at Westridge Marine Terminal in the Port of Vancouver by mid-May, expecting to transform access to global markets for the country's producers and to help shrink the discount on benchmark Canadian heavy crude.
The Trans Mountain pipeline (300 kb/d) was established in 1953 to create a reliable energy supply for Canada and the United States. The expansion was first proposed in 2012, with the Canadian government buying it in 2018 to ensure the project’s development despite opposition. Regulatory delays and costs soaring to more than four times the project's original budget prolonged the construction time to almost 12 years.