The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted approval to Dominion Energy to start commercial operations at its Cove Point LNG export terminal in Maryland.
Dominion filed a request on March 2, only a day after Shell’s 136,985-cbm LNG carrier Gemmata departed the plant with the first cargo .
In its request Dominion noted that the Cove Point liquefaction project is mechanically complete and able to physically flow gas.
“All engineering order conditions and commissioning demonstration tests required at Cove Point’s LNG terminal are complete,” the company said in its request.
Responding to the application, FERC said on Monday, March 5, that it grants Dominion’s request to start commercial operations of both the Virginia and Maryland facilities for the Cove Point liquefaction project.
Following FERC staff inspections and review of the commissioning activities, the regulator determined that the “facilities have been constructed in accordance with its approval and applicable standards and can be expected to operate safely as designed.”
The $4 billion Cove Point liquefaction facility is the second US facility to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) from shale.