Transco Approved to Build 55-Mile Southeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline
FERC has approved Transco’s 55-mile Southeast Supply Enhancement pipeline expansion, authorizing new large-diameter pipeline and compressor upgrades to add 1.6 MMdth/d of gas capacity across five states.
By Mary Holcomb, Lead Digital Editor
(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has authorized Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC to proceed with its Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, a major expansion of its existing interstate natural gas transmission system spanning Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Transco is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Williams Companies, one of the largest U.S. natural gas pipeline operators, with a system that stretches from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast.
Issued Jan. 29, the FERC order grants Transco authority to construct and operate approximately 55 miles of new large-diameter pipeline, along with significant compressor station upgrades and related facilities, to deliver up to 1.6 million dekatherms per day of incremental firm transportation capacity to Southeast markets.
The project includes about 31.2 miles of 42-inch pipeline in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and Rockingham County, North Carolina, and an additional 24.1 miles of 42-inch pipe across Guilford, Forsyth, and Davidson counties in North Carolina. Smaller pipeline laterals and station modifications are also planned across multiple states.
FERC said the expansion is designed to relieve capacity constraints on Transco’s system and support growing demand for natural gas-fired power generation, as well as residential, commercial, and industrial use. The project is fully subscribed under long-term precedent agreements, which the commission cited as strong evidence of market need.
In addition to new pipeline segments, the project includes major compression upgrades at several existing stations, including new electric- and gas-driven units and the replacement of older equipment. Transco estimated the total project cost at approximately $1.53 billion.
FERC staff concluded that while construction and operation would result in some environmental impacts, those effects would be reduced to less-than-significant levels with mitigation measures in place. The commission adopted staff recommendations and environmental conditions as part of its approval.
The order also authorizes the abandonment of certain obsolete compressor units, which Transco plans to replace with more efficient equipment to improve system reliability. The commission found the abandonment would not jeopardize existing service.