Royal Vopak and AltaGas Ltd. have announced that they have entered into a joint venture and will invest together in the development of the Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET). RIPET is expected to be the first propane export facility off the west coast of Canada. The project is to be designed to ship 1.2 million tpy of propane, with approximately 96,000 m3 of storage capacity. The facility is expected to be commissioned in 2019.
The RIPET site is near Prince Rupert, British Columbia, on a section of land leased by Ridley Terminals Inc. (RTI) from the Prince Rupert Port Authority. The site has a locational advantage given very short shipping distances to markets in Asia. Propane from British Columbia and Alberta will be transported to the facility using 50 – 60 rail cars a day through the existing rail network.