FERC readies Fields Point LNG environmental assessment

The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the Fields Point LNG project in Rhode Island, proposed by National Grid.

The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the Fields Point liquefaction and storage facility in Providence.

In its assessment, FERC notes that the “approval of the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.”

The current Fields Point LNG storage facility at National Grid’s Fields Point site has been in operation since completion of the LNG storage tank in 1974.

New liquefaction facilities proposed at the Project site include a gas pretreatment and liquefaction system capable of converting and storing 20 million standard cubic feet per day.

Natural gas would be delivered to the facility via a connection to an existing pipeline immediately adjacent to the project site.

The project does not propose to increase the storage capacity of the existing LNG storage tank and does not propose to relocate any of the existing cryogenic piping or vaporization equipment.

In addition to the new liquefaction facilities, National Grid would construct a new LNG pump loading skid containment sump, which would serve a new LNG truck loading pump area, within the existing LNG tank containment sump in the LNG storage containment area.