Transco seeks FERC approval for Northeast Supply Enhancement Project

Williams Partners’ subsidiary Transco has submitted an application to the US-based Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), seeking authorisation for its Northeast Supply Enhancement project.

The project is expected to create 400,000 dekatherms per day of incremental firm transportation capacity to the northeastern markets for 2019-2020 winter heating season.

Claimed to be the nation’s largest-volume and fastest-growing interstate natural gas pipeline system, Transco is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners.

Transco has executed precedent agreements with units of National Grid, which is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern US, for transportation services under the project.

When completed, this project will help meet the growing natural gas demand in the north-east, including the 1.8 million customers served by National Grid in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.

National Grid New York president Ken Daly said: “Customers and businesses in the local communities that we serve in New York City and on Long Island benefit from affordable, clean and reliable energy.

“Williams’ Northeast Supply Enhancement project expands on our commitment to further improve reliability, make available much-needed gas capacity to support job growth, and help reduce our carbon footprint.

“This project complements the existing Brooklyn Queens Interconnect/Rockaway Lateral Project, which was completed last spring, and was the first new gas supply delivery point in decades for National Grid customers in this region.”

The demand of clean energy in New York is increasing at an unprecedented rate, which is scheduled to gradually phase out heavy oil usage and decrease city emissions by 80% by 2050.

The Northeast Supply Enhancement project will help residents in the city to meet their energy demand from the supplied clean fuel.

Williams Partners senior vice-president of Atlantic-Gulf operating area Rory Miller said: “As demand for natural gas increases, the importance of the associated energy infrastructure becomes even more critical.

“The Northeast Supply Enhancement project will add critical infrastructure necessary to meet the region’s growing demand for natural gas while helping reduce air emissions.”

The Northeast Supply Enhancement project includes ten miles of 42in pipeline looping facilities, three miles of onshore 26in looping facilities, 23 miles of offshore 26in looping facilities, an additional 21,902HP at an existing compressor station and a new 32,000HP compressor station with associated infrastructure.

The certificate application indicates an expected capital of approximately $926.5m and a target in service of 1 December 2019.