Canada

Pipeline construction in Canada

The construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline in British Columbia, Canada, realized critical energy infrastructure: Natural gas is transported across 670 kilometers from the Dawson Creek region to the Kitimat area, where it is processed into liquefied natural gas for export.

For particularly demanding mountain sections, a reliable, safe, and high-performance transport solution was essential, as steep terrain with gradients up to 35 degrees severely limited conventional material and personnel transport.

Already in 2021…

… LCS delivered an innovative dual cable crane system for the project – a material ropeway combining two lines to enable parallel transport of materials and personnel. The first line was designed for heavy material transport with a payload capacity of 16 tons, the second line for personnel and material transport with 5 tons. A passenger cabin enabled safe transport of up to ten person simultaneously.

With a maximum rope speed of 3 m/s, diesel-hydraulic winches in gravity mode, and five specially designed portal towers, a high-performance solution was created spanning 1,495 meters total length with an elevation difference of 685 meters for one of the project’s most challenging sections.

Implementation demanded…

… the highest standards of planning, logistics, and assembly. Setup began in April 2021, including helicopter operations for tower erection in difficult-to-access terrain. Throughout the project, the system operated under intensive conditions – at times 24/7 shift operations with approximately 40 employees and additional on-site management.

The system’s major advantage lay in efficient, parallel workflow execution: while materials, pipes, and equipment were transported, personnel and gear could simultaneously be delivered to work sites. This not only increased productivity but also significantly reduced the spatial footprint within the pipeline corridor.

Following successful completion of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline section, the cable crane system was dismantled in summer 2024 within approximately three months and prepared for return transport in containers.

Client

Ledcor Sicim Coastal LP

Project Owner

TC Energy

Location

Canada

Project duration

2021 – 2024

Total Length

1495 m

Slope

685 m