FERC Wednesday granted Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s (Transco) request to place into service some of its Mid-Atlantic Connector expansion facilities to meet the growing demand for natural gas in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.

The order allows the Williams pipeline to start up service on the project’s Bull Run Loop and Replacement in Prince William and Fairfax counties, VA, and new 3,550 hp internal combustion-driven compressor unit at its Compressor Station 165 in Pittsylvania County, VA [CP11-31].

The project, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved in July, would provide an additional 142,000 Dth/d of firm service to meet growing gas demand in the southern market area. Transco proposes to abandon 30-inch diameter pipe in Fairfax County and replace it with a 42-inch diameter pipe, as well as upgrade compression at its Compressor Station 165.

Transco said it expects to file another request in the first quarter for authorization to place the remaining project facilities in service. The remaining facilities include the installation of a new 33,000 hp electric motor-driven compressor unit and replacement of an existing compressor at Compressor Station 175 in Fluvanna County, VA, resulting in a net addition of 15,400 hp of compression at Station 175.

Transco said it anticipates placing the electric motor-driven compressor unit in service by Feb. 28.

Separately, Transco has proposed another expansion of its pipeline system to serve gas demand in Virginia and other markets.

The “Virginia Southside Expansion Project” would provide 270,000 Dth/d of incremental firm transportation to two shippers, namely Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc. and Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc. The expansion would involve the construction of about 91 miles of 24-inch diameter pipeline facilities along Transco’s existing South Virginia Lateral “A” in Pittsylvania, Halifax, Charlotte, Mecklenburg and Brunswick counties, VA; about seven miles of greenfield pipeline, which would extend to Virginia Electric and Power Co.’s (VEPCO) proposed power station in Brunswick County; and a new compressor station for two 10,915 hp gas turbine compressors.

The pipeline has called on the Commission to act on its proposed expansion by July 1 to accommodate the needs of project shippers and enable Transco to meet a targeted in-service date of Sept. 1, 2015. The cost of the expansion is estimated at $298 million.

“There is strong market demand for the project. Transco has executed binding precedent agreements with project shippers for 100% of the incremental firm transportation service to be provided under the project,” Transco told the Commission.

“Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc. will use 250,000 Dth/d of the capacity to deliver gas to Transco’s Cascade Creek interconnection with East Tennessee Natural Gas Gas in Rockingham County, NC, or to serve a proposed approximately 1,300 MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power station in Brunswick County on behalf of its affiliate VEPCO. Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc. will use the remaining capacity to deliver additional incremental volumes to its existing Pleasant Hill meter station in Northampton County, NC.”

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