Mark Carney's fast-track approval of the Pacific Link pipeline has put the Pathways carbon capture project back in the spotlight. The Toronto Star reports that Pathways, backed by five major oilsands companies, is meant to capture 16 million tonnes of CO2 a year once it is running. But the project is not finalized, and the new memorandum of understanding only requires a detailed plan by Nov. 15, with capture operations due by 2035. Timing is the problem. The pipeline is expected to enter service two to three years before Pathways comes online, and Alberta's own estimate says filling the line could add 15.5 to 18.7 million tonnes of emissions per year. That means the project may barely offset the expansion. There is also no binding commitment or penalty if the companies do not build Pathways, which leaves the climate side of the Alberta deal uncertain. Readers tracking Canadian carbon policy should watch whether the Nov. 15 plan includes firm spending commitments and how the 2035 deadline lines up with the pipeline schedule.
