Oil-tanker traffic through Burrard Inlet will increase fivefold if Kinder Morgan's $5-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is given regulatory approval.

And that's a volume that environmental advocates say only increases the certainty of a devastating oil spill.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners gave the green light Thursday to its pipeline expansion, which will more than double the current amount of crude oil flowing from Alberta to Burnaby to 850,000 barrels per day, up from the current 300,000 bpd.

The quantity is about 40 per cent more than what the Houston-based company had originally proposed. And it will see annual tanker traffic jump from about 70 tankers per year to 360 to 365 tankers per year, based on one tanker visiting port per day, said Kinder Morgan.

Ben West, Wilderness Committee spokesman, said this increase will only serve to strengthen public opposition to a project he described as "simply outrageous."

"It's shocking, actually, because this is even bigger than anything we saw Kinder Morgan proposing up until now," West said.

"Every new tanker that is in the inlet is carrying at least two or three times as much as the Exxon Valdez spill. More tankers mean more risk."

As part of the project, Kinder Morgan intends to twin the existing pipeline, add new pump stations along the route, increase the number of storage tanks at existing facilities and expand the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby.

It had originally planned a smaller, $3.8-billion expansion.

The company said it intends to file an application to the National Energy Board in 2014 for the go-ahead.

If granted, Kinder Morgan is prepared to start breaking ground in 2016, with the project completion date set for 2017.

Andrew Galarnyk, director of external relations for Kinder Morgan Canada, said the project is based on the "current types of vessels that call on the facility," meaning super-tankers are not on the table — yet.

"Should the [Port of Metro Vancouver] decide there is an opportunity to look at bringing bigger vessels in, that would be their decision," Galarnyk said.

"And we would certainly work with them to see if we can make that happen."

Galarnyk added that Kinder Morgan is committed to abiding by the regulatory system as well as engaging in a thorough public consultation process.

The company has set aside 18 to 24 months to consult with local communities, including First Nations and environmental groups, he said.

"We know that people will have concerns and there is lots of information that isn't out there that will come out," he said.

"We are looking forward to sitting down and having those discussions. We will have an open and transparent process."

Kinder Morgan's plans come at the same time Enbridge Inc. is pushing for its Northern Gateway pipeline project, which proposes to transport 525,000 bpd from Alberta to Kitimat for shipment to Asia.

That project has also met with resistance from First Nations and environmental groups, and remains in the regulatory process.

Photo: Ben West of Wilderness Committee stands Thursday with Vancouver harbour in background