Enbridge Gas wants to increase capacity in southwestern Ontario next year.
The expansion of the Panhandle Transmission System, which supplies natural gas to Chatham-Kent, Windsor, Essex County, Lakeshore, Leamington, Kingsville, Essex, Amherstburg, LaSalle, and Tecumseh is still subject to Ontario Energy Board approval.
President of Enbridge Gas Michele Harradence says they are hoping to start construction early in 2023.
"What we're doing is looping an existing pipeline, so it is already an existing right-of-way, and we'll be adding another pipe that will lay in the right of way beside it," said Harradence.
The new pipeline will be 36 inches in diameter and located adjacent to an existing pipeline corridor between Richardson Side Road in the Municipality of Lakeshore, and Enbridge Gas’ Dover Transmission Station in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
Another 12 km of expansion, the Leamington Interconnect could begin in 2024. This will connect the existing Leamington North Lines to both the Kingsville East Line and the Leamington North Reinforcement Line
Enbridge is also working on a project to bring natural gas to Boblo Island. That work isn't expected to start until 2024.