Ontario Construction News staff writer
EPCOR Natural Gas Limited Partnership says it has received the leave to construct approval from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to begin construction on a natural gas distribution system for the Southern Bruce region. This project will provide the area’s residents, farms and businesses with access to natural gas for the first time.
“This is an exciting time for EPCOR,” Stuart Lee, EPCOR Utilities Inc’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We’d like to thank the mayors of the Municipality of Kincardine, the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie and the Township of Huron-Kinloss for their commitment over the past several years to bringing natural gas to their communities. Natural gas will bring many benefits to the area, including lower fuel costs.”
“We will have shovels in the ground right away and expect to have the full system in-service by the end of 2021. EPCOR looks forward to serving customers in Southern Bruce and being a part of the community.”
Between now and 2021, work will take place to construct the distribution system and connect customers. It’s expected that the Bruce Industrial Park will be connected in 2019, followed by the communities of Kincardine, Tiverton and Inverhuron in 2020, and the communities of Paisley, Chelsey, Lucknow, Ripley, Point Clark and Lurgan Beach in 2021.
The natural gas distribution system will consist of a large diameter mainline — the backbone of the system that will transport gas to each of the communities — along with smaller diameter high density polyethylene distribution piping, which will be constructed within each of the communities to directly serve homes and businesses.
“In 2011, the three municipalities in Southern Bruce started on their long quest to bring Natural Gas to their residents and local businesses,” Kincardie mayor Anne Eadie said. “Through a competitive process, the Southern Bruce municipalities chose EPCOR to build, own, and operate the project. Now with the final Ontario Energy Board approval, our dream of bringing natural gas to the area is finally a reality! Construction can begin.”