FERC Gives Environmental OK for Dominion's Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On Friday, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a favorable final environmental impact statement for Dominion Energy Incorporated's (NYSE:D) (Richmond, Virginia) planned Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline project. The pipeline will run 600 miles from West Virginia to North Carolina, carrying up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. Industrial Info is tracking more than $39.5 billion in projects involving Dominion Energy.

FERC said the pipeline, which has an estimated total investment value of $5 billion for all related projects, could cause some environmental effects, but that these could be minimized if Dominion followed its own and FERC's recommendations for the construction and operation of the pipeline. With the approval, the project is planned to kick off later this year, with completion set for late 2019. Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Southern Company Gas, a unit of Southern Company (NYSE:SO) (Atlanta, Georgia) are co-owners of the project, which is headed by Dominion. U.S. Pipeline Incorporated (Houston, Texas) is acting as a general contractor on the project. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina sections of the pipeline.

The 42-inch-diameter pipeline will include three new compressor stations along the route: one at the beginning of the pipeline in West Virginia, one in central Virginia and one near the Virginia-North Carolina state line. According to Dominion, the project will generate $377 million in energy cost savings and provide more than 17,000 jobs in the construction industry. Two pipeline laterals will run to existing Dominion power plants.

The project comes as power company Dominion strives for a cleaner generating portfolio, primarily from natural gas-fired facilities and wind generation. Earlier this month, Dominion announced that it was partnering with Denmark's DONG Energy A/S for construction of a pilot-scale wind project off the Virginia coast. For more information, see July 12, 2017, article - Dominion Partners with Denmark's DONG Energy for U.S. Offshore Wind Pilot Project.

Dominion is under way with construction on a grassroot combined-cycle, natural gas-fired power plant in Emporia, Virginia. The Greensville County Power Station will have a generating capacity of 1,588 megawatts (MW). Construction on the project began in late 2015 and is expected to be completed before the end of 2018. Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR) (Irving, Texas) is providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the project, which has an estimated total investment value of $1.3 billion. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Dominion's partner on the Atlantic Coast project, Duke Energy, also has plans to increase its natural gas-fired generating portfolio. In North Carolina, home to Duke and the ultimate destination of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Duke is planning a 560-MW combined-cycle addition at its existing Ashville Power Station. The project is planned to kick off later this year and be completed in late 2019. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE:CBI) (Gravenhage, Netherlands) is performing EPC work on the project. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Duke also is planning to install three combined-cycle turbines at its power plant in Stanley, North Carolina. The turbines will have a generating capacity of 400 MW each. Construction on the first of these is planned to kick in the fourth quarter of 2018 for completion in the first half of 2020. Siemens Energy Incorporated (Orlando, Florida) is acting as design-build firm on the projects, which have a total investment value of $320 million each. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on Phase I, Phase II and Phase III of the turbine additions.

Once the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is complete, the companies may to continue to increase regional natural gas-fired capacity, as the amount of gas available in the area grows substantially.

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