FERC Wednesday gave Gulfstream Natural Gas System LLC the green light to place into service a pipeline expansion to supply natural gas to a power plant in west-central Florida that is scheduled to be converted to gas.

The Phase IV pipeline facilities include 17.74 miles of 20-inch diameter offshore line that extends from an underwater hot tap with Gulfstream’s existing 36-inch diameter line in the Hillsborough County waters of Tampa Bay to Florida Power Corp.’s Bartow power plant in Pinellas County, FL. The Bartow plant has operated as an oil-fired power plant. Florida Power is in the process of repowering the facility as a gas-fired plant and increasing its capacity to 1,159 MW by adding combined-cycle gas turbines. The repowering project is targeted for completion in 2009, according to the utility.

Gulfstream, which is owned by Williams and Spectra Energy, also plans to add a 15,000 hp compressor unit at its existing Station 410 in Coden, AL, and two 15,000 hp units at its existing Station 420 in Manatee County, FL. FERC, however, did not give Gulfstream the go-ahead to operate the compression facilities yet.

Florida Power affiliate Progress Energy Florida Inc. has subscribed to the entire 155,000 Dth/d of capacity of the project under 23-year term agreements. The proposed compression units are expected to be in service by Jan. 1, when Florida Power’s Bartow plant begins full operation.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Gulfstream’s request to roll in the $117 million cost of the Phase IV facilities in its next Section 4 rate proceeding.

The Phase IV facility expansion raises Gulfstream’s certificated system capacity to approximately 1.232 Bcf/d. The 726-mile pipeline originates in Mississippi and Alabama, crosses the Gulf of Mexico floor and comes ashore on the western coast of Florida, where it supplies gas to major markets in the Sunshine State.

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