Construction begins on $4B Enbridge natural gas pipeline expansion in B.C.

Enbridge company logos are seen at the company's annual meeting in Calgary, Thursday, May 12, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

PRINCE GEORGE — Enbridge Inc. has broken ground on a $4-billion natural gas pipeline expansion in British Columbia.

The federal government approved the Sunrise Expansion Program in April.

The project aims to add another 300 million cubic feet per day of transportation capacity to the province’s natural gas transmission system.

The Sunrise project is using Canadian melted and poured steel supplied by InterPro Pipe and Steel in Saskatchewan.

The federal government says Sunrise will help ensure natural gas supplies are available to liquefied natural gas export facilities on the West Coast while meeting local needs.

Enbridge holds a 30 per cent stake in the Woodfibre LNG export terminal under construction in Squamish, B.C.

• Stay on top of your portfolio with real-time data, historical charts and the latest news on oil

The Sunrise expansion will add about 140 kilometres of new pipe to Enbridge’s existing 2,900-kilometre Westcoast Pipeline. Enbridge plans to build 11 looping segments parallel to the existing pipeline, and also boost throughput through compression and other upgrades.

Last year, an alliance of 28 Indigenous communities in B.C. acquired a 12.5 per cent stake in the existing Westcoast. Enbridge has previously said those groups are not obligated to take on equity of the expansion, but have the option to do so.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2026.

— By Lauren Krugel in Calgary.