FERC said on Friday it will prepare environmental impact statements (EIS) for the Downeast LNG Import-Export Project in Maine and the Mississippi River LNG Project in Louisiana.

In separate notices, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced the start of the scoping process for each liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Downeast LNG (DELNG) is a $2 billion bidirectional terminal proposed for Robbinston, ME (see Daily GPI, July 23). Mississippi River LNG is proposed by Louisiana LNG Energy LLC (LLNGE) to be sited in Plaquemines Parish, LA (see Daily GPI, Sept. 3).

DELNG plans to develop, construct, and operate facilities that would convert the previously proposed Downeast LNG Import Project [CP07-52-000, CP07-53-000, CP07-53-001] into a bidirectional import-export LNG terminal and pipeline capable of producing 3 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG and 100 MMcf/d of regasified LNG. The project would involve no changes to the marine facilities and transfer lines that were proposed and evaluated for the import project.

The new project would include a single LNG storage tank with a nominal usable storage capacity of 160,000 cubic meters. The storage tank design and location would be the same as the southernmost tank proposed for the import project. The northernmost tank proposed earlier would not be required.

The new project would include two submerged combustion vaporizers used for regasification of LNG during import mode, of which one would be used during operation while the second would be a backup. Liquefaction facilities would include feed gas pretreatment systems; one LNG liquefaction train with a nominal design capacity of 3 mtpa; refrigerant storage and handling; refrigerant compression systems; and a refrigerant cooling system.

The pipeline for the project would be 24 inches in diameter, a change from 30 inches as proposed for the import project. The route and construction work areas would remain the same as proposed earlier. Ancillary facilities would include onsite power generation and utilities, infrastructure, and support systems within the terminal site would be revised for the import-export project to accommodate addition of liquefaction capabilities.

In the other project, LLNGE plans to construct, own, and operate a terminal in Plaquemines Parish to liquefy gas for use along the lower Mississippi River and in offshore Louisiana bunker markets, as well as for export to foreign countries. The planned facility would have an export capacity of 2 mtpa. The project would liquefy domestic gas delivered via interconnects with an existing interstate pipeline. The LNG would be stored in onsite tanks before being loaded onto LNG carriers at a planned marine berthing and LNG transfer facilities.

Construction is planned to begin in February 2016 and operations are planned to begin in the second quarter of 2018; however, LLNGE is considering a phased construction that would allow operations to commence in the second quarter of 2017. Phased construction would allow for operations to begin before construction of the storage tanks by transferring liquefied natural gas directly into a berthed LNG vessel.

The project would include four liquefaction trains, each with a capacity of 74.38 Mcf/d; two 100,000 cubic meter LNG storage tanks; marine loading facilities capable of berthing one LNG carrier up to 175,000 cubic meters, as well as LNG bunker barges; truck loading facilities capable of concurrently loading two trucks; a 180 megawatt on-site power generation facility with three gas turbines; and ancillary gas treatment and liquefaction systems.

The project would also include 1.9 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline, with an associated meter station, that would deliver gas from the High Point Gas Transmission (HPGT) interstate pipeline system to the terminal; 1.6 miles of 12-inch diameter pipeline, with an associated meter station, that would extend from the HPGT interconnection to the Gulf South Pipeline interstate pipeline system. One compressor station would be constructed within the terminal fenceline.