Enbridge Inc. ENB-T is embarking on a $4-billion expansion of its pipeline system for transporting natural gas in British Columbia after receiving approval from the federal government.

The Sunrise expansion project will increase capacity by 17 per cent at Enbridge’s T-South system, focusing on southern B.C. but also bolstering the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

“The multibillion-dollar Sunrise expansion program is a shovel-ready, critical natural gas infrastructure project that supports the advancement of Canada’s energy superpower ambitions,” Enbridge chief executive officer Greg Ebel said in a statement on Friday.

The improvements to pipeline and related infrastructure are designed to help an array of customers, including Woodfibre LNG, a project under construction near Squamish, B.C., that hopes to start exporting liquefied natural gas to Asia by late 2027.

Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. acquired a 30-per-cent stake in Woodfibre in 2022, while the remaining 70 per cent is held by Pacific Energy Corp. Ltd. The latter is part of privately owned Singapore-based RGE Pte. Ltd., which is controlled by Indonesian businessman Sukanto Tanoto.