US regulators approved the construction of Jordan Cove LNG export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, but the project still faces several state regulatory hurdles before it advances
The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the construction of US$10Bn Jordan Cove LNG and granted a certificate of public convenience to the Pacific Connector Liquid Natural Gas Pipeline. Natural gas from the US and Canada will be transported over the 396-km pipeline and connect to the project.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown was clear that the project would not proceed without securing all of the necessary state permits. “Currently, this project does not have a green light from state agencies,” said Governor Brown. Canadian Pembina Pipeline Corp has been denied a clean water permit by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and withdrew its permit applications to the state’s Department of State Lands, according to the Governor. She also said the developers had received an objection from DLCD stating their project is inconsistent with the Coastal Zone Management Act.
If it advances, Jordan Cove LNG would be the first LNG export facility on the US west coast in more than 50 years. The first, Kenai LNG in Alaska, opened in 1969, but stopped exporting LNG in 2015.
As proposed, Jordan Cove LNG will have five trains, each with a capacity of 1.56 mta and produce a total of 7.8 mta of LNG using Black & Veatch liquefaction technology. The project will also have two 160,000-m3 storage tanks, one marine berth and one dedicated tractor tug docking facility. First gas from the export facility will be in 2024.
Black & Veatch has completed the front-end engineering and design work and pre-construction planning for the Jordan Cove LNG export facility.
Its US west coast location would make Jordan Cove LNG an attractive alternative to buyers in Asia. Transporting LNG to Tokyo, for instance, would be a nine-day voyage.
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