Williams Partners’ Transco files FERC application for approval of Rivervale South to Market project

Williams Partners L.P. recently announced that the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco) filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization of its Rivervale South to Market Project.

According to Williams, the project would create approximately 190,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation capacity to a number of northeast markets in time for the 2019/2020 heating season.

“The demand for clean-burning, affordable natural gas continues to climb, particularly in markets like New Jersey and New York City,” Frank Ferazzi, senior vice president of Williams Partners’ Atlantic-Gulf operating area, said. “The Rivervale South to Market project is especially attractive because it leverages existing Transco pipeline infrastructure, helping meet our customers’ energy needs by upgrading existing facilities, resulting in a very limited project footprint.”

Transco also entered into precedent agreements with Direct Energy Business Marketing, LLC and UGI Energy Services, LLC for firm transportation service for the project.

Should the application be approved, the project will consist of uprating more than 10 miles of existing Transco pipeline, a 0.61-mile pipeline loop addition, as well as upgrades to existing New Jersey-based pipeline facilities — all at an expected total cost of $127 million. Currently, the targeted in-service date for the project is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2019.

“New York City has made tremendous strides in air quality due primarily to the conversion from fuel oil to natural gas, and 74 percent of homes in New Jersey rely on natural gas to heat their homes,” J.P. Ghio, vice president of Supply and Customer Operations at UGI, said. “The Rivervale South to Market project will serve to further those efforts.”