From LNG World News
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved the Rio Grande LNG project’s waterway sustainability assessment (WSA) declaring the project suitable for LNG marine traffic. The project was declared suitable for accommodating the type and the frequency of LNG marine traffic, the USCG filing says.
This recommendation is provided to assist in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s determination of whether the proposed facility should be authorized.
The review also notes that the Space X Speceport’s launch site, which is 5 miles away from the proposed LNG facility, could co-exist, as the risk of public impact from a projectile in the 10,000 to 100,000 ft-lb range would be just inside the tolerable region.
NextDecade, a company focused on LNG exports, developing the project said in November it could reach a final investment decision for as few as two trains with a 9 mtpa production capacity.
At full build-out, the facility in the Port of Brownsville would have the capacity to produce 27 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year out of 6 production trains. The project is currently going through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process, with NextDecade expecting to receive a notice of schedule in the near future. A final authorization is expected in the second half of 2018.
From Next Decade
Rio Grande LNG Project Overview
- Rio Grande is a 6-train facility to be located in the Port of Brownsville.
- Rio Grande LNG is using the proven APCI C3MR(tm) process and GE rotating equipment.
- At full development, we expect to have 4x 180,000 cubic meter full containment LNG tanks and two marine jetties.
- We estimate our current EPC costs for 3 or 6 trains to average $490 per ton with a target of $450 per ton. We estimate our current EPC costs for 2 trains to average $549 per ton with a target of $505 per ton.
- We estimate the full-scale project cost at $17.3 billion, including pipeline, contingency and owner’s cost. This is the same estimate we provided in our Proxy statement in June of this year.
Rio Grande LNG Highlights
- Brownsville, TX
- Option Agreement under contract for 1,000 acres
- Option: 3 years + milestones
- Terminal Facilities: 27 Mtpa (6×4.5 Mtpa) and 4 x 180,000 m3 full-containment LNG storage tanks
- Rio Bravo Pipeline – proposed dual 42″ natural gas pipeline, approximately 140-miles long to provide feed gas to the facility
- Major pipeline trading hub at Agua Dulce with numerous interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines
- Rio Bravo Pipeline to interconnect with these pipelines, providing natural gas supply optionality and access to natural gas produced in Texas and much of the rest of North America
- Designed and permitted in conjunction with the Rio Grande LNG facility
- Includes LNG vehicle fuel trucking and distribution facility
- Brownsville ship channel controlling depth 42 feet
- Site ~ 7 miles from the Gulf of Mexico
- Deepwater port access with supporting marine infrastructure and services
- Site owned by Port for Industrial Development
- Historical acceptance and support of energy projects
- Status:
- Completed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Pre-Filing Process (Initiated April 13, 2015)
- Project currently in FERC NEPA Review Process (Filed May 5, 2016),
- DOE export application to FTA and NFTA countries filed
