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Weds., March 26, 2014 www.revelstoketimesreview.com Vol. 117, No. 13
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TIMESReview
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FortisBC studies switching Revelstoke from propane to LNG Aaron Orlando
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
Balu Yoga and Wellness hosted a Glow Yoga fundraiser at Traverse Night Club on Mar. 21 that contributed to an upcoming $562 donation to the Revelstoke Women’s Shelter and the non-profit Free the Slaves. Studio co-owner Noelle Bovon said Balu has raised money for the shelter through a spring equinox event and ongoing by-donation karma classes on Saturdays at 4 p.m. The class was led by Bovon, Erin Potter and Alana Jung. Aaron Orlando/RTR
The company that operates the underground gas pipeline network in Revelstoke is studying the possibility of switching from propane to natural gas. FortisBC spokesperson Michael Allison confirmed the utility is in the very early stages of studying the business case for the switchover. Currently, FortisBC uses a bank of large propane storage tanks located in the industrial park on Powerhouse Road to feed an underground network that was installed just over 20 years ago. (Fortis didn’t have the exact date.) The propane is shipped in by rail, and the tanks are refilled via a rail spur line that runs behind the Powerhouse Road property. Spokesperson Michael Allison explained the reason FortisBC is considering the switch is cost. “We would be exploring this to save customers money,” Allison said. Propane prices are rising, and long-term forecasts call for increased prices for the gas, which is a by-product of oil refining. Natural gas prices are trending in the opposite direction. “We do see a long-term continued decrease in natural gas prices,” Allison said. So, is FortisBC building a 100-odd kilometre pipeline from the nearest distribution point in Salmon Arm? No, Allison said: “That is not economically feasible.” He said FortisBC had looked into the pipeline, but it wasn’t considering it due to cost. Whistler switched from propane to natural gas in 2009, after upgrades to the Sea-to-Sky Highway for the 2010 Olympics made piggybacking a new pipeline from the Lower Mainland economically viable, Allison said. What FortisBC is studying is bringing in a relatively new system to Revelstoke – likely the first of its kind in B.C. if it were to proceed. The gas utility is proposing using rail-based “isotainers” filled with liquified natural gas – known as LNG – to feed the gas network. LNG is natural gas that has been processed, cooled and condensed into a super-cold liquid state. The tanks would be brought to the existing facility, feeding the network from there. The tanks are a cylinder that is contained by a reinforced steel frame. This story was initiated when the Times Review called FortisBC, after hearing about a possible study. Allison emphasized the study is in really early stages, and the conversion is far from certain. When Whistler switched over to natural gas in 2009, they reduced gas-related emissions by 15 per cent and gas costs were reduced by 20 per cent at the time. Allison said the current cost reduction is higher and forecast to increase because the price of the two different types of gasses are heading in opposite directions. However, it’s not possible to calculate potential savings in Revel-
LNG, page 3
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