The Tilbury LNG facility is located in Tilbury, Delta BC, is owned by FortisBC Energy Inc. (FEI), and has been operating since 1971.

The Tilbury facility performs multiple functions: supplying FEI’s gas distribution customers during peak days, and serving transportation customers. Two further expansions have received initial approvals to proceed.

Tilbury facilities

Tilbury presently contains two LNG storage tanks, liquification and regassification units.

The Tilbury Base Plant, built between 1969 and 1971, is used to supply FEI’s gas customers for short durations on peak days. The LNG tank has a capacity of 0.6 billion cubic feet (Bcf), and provides 0.69 days’ reserve for Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.

A replacement for the Base Plant, Tilbury Phase 2, was approved by the BCUC in 2025, and is expected to be in service by 2030. Tilbury Phase 2 includes a new LNG tank and expanded regassification capacity. It is expected to cost $1.144 billion.

The new LNG tank has a capacity of 3.0 Bcf, of which 1.0 Bcf will be allocated to gas peaking, and the remaining 2.0 Bcf will provide backup in the event of a disruption to supply. The tank may not be used for transportation, export or other purposes without BCUC permission.

The Tilbury 1A (or Tilbury Phase 1A, or Tilbury Expansion) facilities were built pursuant to a 2013 government order, and was not approved by the BCUC. Tilbury 1A came into service in 2019, and is used to supply customers buying LNG from FEI under Rate Schedule 46. It has no regassification capacity. The government order for Tilbury 1A anticipated FEI would spend up to $400 million on the facilities.

The Tilbury 1B expansion was announced in July, 2016. Like Tilbury 1A, this new expansion will be built pursuant to a government order, and was not approved by the BCUC. Tilbury 1B includes a new jetty and a cryogenic pipeline to serve marine LNG customers under FEI Rate Schedule 48. The government order for Tilbury 1B anticipates FEI will spend up to $2.2 billion on the facilities.