MONTREAL — As Canada looks to fast-track major projects that could reduce its dependence on the United States, a new subsidiary of a Norwegian energy company says it wants to build a liquefied natural gas export facility in Quebec.
Marinvest Energy Canada says there is a strong business case for an LNG project in Quebec that would supply markets in Europe.
The project is in early stages, and the company has not publicly shared many details, but its representatives have been meeting with officials in Quebec and Ottawa for months.
The plans were first made public Friday by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, which reported the development would include a liquefaction plant and marine export terminal, as well as several hundred kilometres of pipeline.
Speaking to reporters in Sept-Îles, Que. on Friday, Premier François Legault confirmed that members of his team have met with the proponents of the project, which he said would be located in Baie-Comeau, Que., along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in the province's Côte-Nord region.
But he added the project is "very preliminary."
"The first thing we'll look at is the economic benefits. Are there paying jobs for Quebecers? Is there revenue that can flow to Quebecers?" he said. "If it pays off for Quebecers, we'll look at it. If it doesn't pay off for Quebecers, we won't look at it."
The news comes days after Parliament passed a major projects bill, which gives the government sweeping new powers to speed up permitting for what Prime Minister Mark Carney calls "nation-building projects."
In Alberta on Friday, Energy Minister Tim Hodgson declined to say whether an LNG project in Quebec would be deemed in the national interest. "If Quebec wants to advance that project with the proponent, I'm sure they'll bring it forward and it will be evaluated," he told reporters.
The Quebec government rejected a proposal for an LNG facility in Quebec’s Saguenay region in 2021, amid widespread opposition to the project.
But in recent months, Legault has repeatedly said Quebecers are more open to fossil-fuel projects in the province, due to the ongoing trade war with the United States.
Greg Cano, chief operating officer for Marinvest Energy Canada, said there is a "clear and growing demand" for LNG in Europe, and Quebec is "strategically well-positioned to meet this need."
"In our view, Quebec can play a key role in helping diversify export options for Canadian natural gas, especially at a time when relying solely on the U.S. market presents growing challenges," he said in an email statement.
Marinvest Energy AS was registered in 2020, with its head office in Bergen, Norway. Its Canadian subsidiary was listed in Quebec's business registry last month. It has no employees in the province, according to the registry. Cano is listed as the company's sole Canadian shareholder, with an address in Calgary.
Four lobbyists with the public relations firm National have registered to lobby the federal government on behalf of the company. Two are also listed in Quebec's lobbyist registry.
In Ottawa, one lobbyist reported an interaction in May with officials from Invest in Canada, an arm's-length organization that promotes foreign investment.
Another lobbied Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his Quebec lieutenant, Pierre Paul-Hus, in June.
Marcel Furlong, prefect of the regional municipality that includes Baie-Comeau, said the company began discussions with the municipality in early 2025. He said the municipality has not taken a position on the project, and would need more information to form an opinion, including with regard to its environmental impact.
On Friday, Greenpeace Canada was quick to express concerns about the plan.
“There is no way that a fossil fuel project with so little consultation and such a weak business case should be on Mark Carney’s list of projects that can bypass environmental laws," senior energy strategist Keith Stewart said in a statement.
In 2021, the Quebec government axed plans for an LNG plant in the Saguenay region, saying it risked "disadvantaging the energy transition."
Quebec's environmental review agency had concluded the project's risks far outweighed its benefits. It found the proponent had failed to demonstrate that public opinion was favourable, that the project would reduce greenhouse gas emissions or that it would accelerate the transition to clean energy.
The following year, the federal government also rejected the project, after the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada found it was likely to harm the environment.
The agency concluded that the plant would increase greenhouse gas emissions, that increased shipping traffic would harm the beluga whale population, and that there would be negative effects on nearby Innu communities.
– With files from Lauren Krugel in Cochrane, Alta.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
Maura Forrest and Caroline Plante, The Canadian Press
