Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC and Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC on Thursday filed at FERC for their Atlantic Bridge Project, which would “provide much needed supply diversity and reliability in the Northeast markets,” they said.

Atlantic Bridge would enable Algonquin to provide 132,705 Dth/d of firm capacity from its receipt points at Mahwah, NJ, and Ramapo, NY, to new and existing points on the Algonquin system, including an interconnection with Maritimes at Beverly, MA. The project also would allow Maritimes to provide 106,276 Dth/d of firm capacity from Beverly to existing delivery points on its system for project shippers.

The project would facilitate south-to-north flow on the Maritimes system to provide more gas supply to New England and Canada’s Maritime provinces and would provide “…access to the affordable Appalachian-area shale gas that is delivered into the western end of the Algonquin system,” the pipelines told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [CP16-9]. Atlantic Bridge was announced by Algonquin and Maritimes parent Spectra Energy Corp. in February 2014 (see Daily GPI, Feb. 5, 2014).

“…[I]ncreased pipeline capacity along a significant portion of Algonquin’s mainline should also partially alleviate existing system constraints, resulting in increased commodity price competition and reduced gas price volatility,” the companies said.

Seven shippers have signed up for capacity on the project: Heritage Gas Ltd., Maine Natural Gas Co., NSTAR Gas Co. (dba Eversource Energy), Exelon Generation Co. LLC (on behalf of Summit Natural Gas of Maine), Irving Oil Terminal Operations Inc., New England NG Supply Ltd., and Norwich Public Utilities.

The project backers want to construct 6.3 miles of take-up and relay pipeline and related facilities in New York and Connecticut; modify two Connecticut compressor stations, uprate another in New York and add a compressor station in Massachusetts; modify five metering/regulating (M&R) stations and one regulating station as well as add a new M&R station; install appurtenant facilities and abandon some other facilities.

The pipelines are asking the Commission to grant the requested authorizations by Aug. 19 so the project can be in service by Nov. 1, 2017.