Project Overview

Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas) has retained Dillon Consulting (Dillon) to begin an environmental study for the proposed Hamilton Reinforcement Project.

The reinforcement growth project is required because the customer is planning to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by 2028. As part of these efforts, they are planning to phase out cokemaking, coal-fueled iron-making, and basic oxygen steelmaking, and implement a new direct reduced iron and electric arc furnace. The City of Hamilton aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030. The customer’s 2028 asset change, represented by this project and others related to it, will contribute approximately 55% to this 2030 goal.

Enbridge Gas has identified a preliminary preferred route and three alternative routes. The preliminary preferred route consists of a new station and a 12-inch pipeline that runs approximately 14 kilometers (km), beginning at the new station crossing on Regional Road 56 and continuing along Upper Centennial Parkway to Barton Street and Kenilworth Avenue. Alternative Route 1 follows the same path as the preliminary preferred route but consists of approximately 14 km of 10-inch pipe, and 100 m of 16-inch pipe. Alternative Route 2 consists of installing approximately 15.7 km of 16inch and 2 km of 24-inch pipeline from the outlet of the Hamilton Takeoff Station, where segments will be located in Carlisle, Flamborough, and Hamilton. Alternative Route 3 is located between Alternative Routes 1 and 2, and consists of installing approximately 11.8 km of 12-inch and 16-inch pipeline from the existing Hamilton Gate station south of Rymal Road East in Hamilton (see map).

Once the environmental assessment and design have been finalized, Enbridge Gas will file a Leave to-Construct (LTC) application to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). This filing is tentatively scheduled for November 2023. If approved, construction of the pipeline could begin in March 2025.