Williams Partners LP said Friday it expects to begin construction soon on its Hillabee Expansion Project, which would add capacity to the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) system in three phases in order to serve Florida demand via the Sabal Trail Transmission project.

Construction is scheduled to begin this May. Hillabee is expected to enter service in May 2017. It will provide incremental firm capacity from receipt points at Transco’s Station 85 in Choctaw County, AL, to a proposed interconnection between Transco and Sabal Trail in Tallapoosa County, AL. Sabal Trail will acquire by lease 100% of the Hillabee capacity on a long-term basis.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved the Hillabee project, along with Sabal Trail and the related Florida Southeast Connection (see Daily GPI,Feb. 3).

Hillabee involves the construction of 43 miles of additional pipeline looping in Alabama, a new compressor facility in Choctaw County, as well as modifications to existing compressor stations and valve sites. The work is to be completed in phases, in 2017, 2020 and 2021. Hillabee is included in Williams Partners 2016 growth capital funding plan announced in January.

Sabal Trail, a project of Spectra Energy Corp. and NextEra Energy Inc., would include about 515 miles of pipeline, six compressor stations and six meter stations in Alabama, Georgia and Florida to provide up to 1.07 million Dth/d of firm service. Florida Southeast Connection would deliver gas to Florida Power & Light Co.’s (FPL) Martin Clean Energy Center near Indiantown, FL.