CP22-21 and CP22-22, CP2 LNG and CP Express
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the CP2 LNG and CP Express Projects proposed by Venture Global CP2 LNG, LLC (CP2 LNG) and Venture Global CP Express, LLC (CP Express).
CP2 LNG and CP Express request authorizations to construct, install, own, operate, and maintain certain liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Cameron Parish, Louisiana and certain pipeline facilities in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana and Jasper and Newton Counties, Texas.
CP2 LNG states that the purpose of the proposed project is to liquefy, store, and export a nameplate liquefaction capacity of about 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG, with approximately 28.0 MTPA capacity possible under optimal conditions, to overseas markets by ocean-going vessels. CP Express states that the purpose of the pipeline system (about 91 miles) is to create the firm transportation capacity needed to transport 4.4 billion cubic feet per day of feed gas required for the proposed LNG export operations from natural gas supply points in east Texas and southwest Louisiana to the Terminal Facilities.
This EIS was prepared in compliance with the requirements of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR], 1500-1508), and the FERC regulations implementing NEPA (18 CFR 380).
The final EIS addresses the potential environmental effects of the construction and operation of the following project facilities:
- a liquefaction plant consisting of 18 liquefaction blocks and ancillary support facilities, each block having a nameplate capacity of about 1.1 million tonnes per annum of LNG;
- six pretreatment systems, each including an amine gas-sweetening unit to remove carbon dioxide and a molecular sieve dehydration system to remove water;
- four 200,000 cubic meter aboveground full containment LNG storage tanks with cryogenic pipeline connections to the liquefaction plant and the berthing docks;
- a combined cycle natural gas turbine power plant with a nameplate capacity of 1,470 megawatts;
- two marine LNG loading docks and accompanying turning basins and three cryogenic lines for LNG transfer from the storage tanks to the docks;
- administration, control, maintenance, and warehouse buildings and related parking lots;
- 85.4 miles of 48-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline (CP Express Pipeline);
- 6.0 miles of 24-inch-diameter natural gas lateral pipeline connecting to the CP Express Pipeline in northwest Calcasieu Parish (Enable Gulf Run Lateral);
- one 187,000-horsepower natural gas-fired compressor station (Moss Lake Compressor Station);
- six meter stations (five at interconnects with existing pipelines and one at the terminus of the CP Express Pipeline within the Terminal Site); and
- other appurtenant facilities.
The FERC staff concludes that approval of the proposed project, with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIS, would result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, most of these impacts would be less-than-significant, with the exception visual resources, including cumulative visual impacts, and visual impacts on environmental justice communities in the region. Climate change impacts are not characterized in the EIS as significant or insignificant. As part of the analysis, Commission staff developed specific mitigation measures (included in the final EIS as recommendations). Staff recommend that these mitigation measures be attached as conditions to any authorization issued by the Commission.
The Commission will take into consideration staff’s recommendations in the EIS when they make a decision on the project.