New Brunswick’s Minister of Natural Resources is touting the eastern province for an LNG export terminal, national media agency CBC reported on September 4.

In an interview with CTV News Atlantic, New Brunswick lawmaker John Herron presented the case for an LNG export terminal in the port city of Saint John.

Citing a race to ship the super-chilled fuel to Europe before new supply comes online in Qatar and the US Gulf Coast, Herron stated that Saint John would serve as the ideal location for a terminal given that the city already has an LNG terminal.

Formerly known as Canaport LNG, the facility owned by Spanish energy firm Repsol serves as an LNG import terminal, but conversion of the facility would allow a direct route for Canadian LNG to be shipped to Europe.

“We need to get to that European market in the next three-to-four years,” Herron told CTV  News Atlantic. “The only site in Canada that can get to market within three-to-four years would be a location that has pre-existing LNG infrastructure and pipeline infrastructure, and that is Saint John,” Herron added.

Speaking to Radio-Canada, Herron said that New Brunswick has opened talks with pipeline company TC Energy and Repsol, although he reiterated that the discussions are in the very early stages.

The project would require a natural gas pipeline to be extended from Quebec City to the port of Saint John.

Additionally, the gas pipeline from Alberta to Ontario would need added capacity, which could push the project into the $5bn range.

The project also gained some steam in 2023, however, Repsol pulled the plug on the idea at that time fearing that converting the plant in Saint John would be too expensive.

Revival of the idea comes shortly after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as the two countries vowed to cooperate in LNG and hydrogen.

While Saint John would offer a quick timeline, Canada’s most eastern province Newfoundland is also considering developing an LNG terminal for exports to Europe.

Additionally, Canada is in the midst of early stages of developing a port in northern Manitoba on Hudson Bay that will be capable of exporting the super-cooled gas to Europe.