When winter temperatures take a big dip and demand for natural gas to heat homes reaches a peak, Piedmont Natural Gas can meet the demand, helped by liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants.
LNG tanks store natural gas that has liquefied after being cooled to about minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit. That process allows natural gas to be stored in a fraction of the space.
"These facilities are the most cost-effective solution to meet our customers’ needs on the coldest days of the year," said Frank Yoho, executive vice president and president, Piedmont Natural Gas. “We can store natural gas when it is plentiful and prices are low; we can then use it when supply is constrained and demand is high, protecting customers from price spikes and volatility.”
Piedmont Natural Gas is building its fourth LNG plant, on 685 acres in Robeson County, N.C. It will be a 1 billion-cubic-foot peaking and storage facility, with the ability to serve roughly 100,000 homes on a cold day. It’s scheduled to be operational in 2021.
The project is estimated to cost $250 million. Piedmont has more than 40 years of experience owning and safely operating LNG plants in Nashville, Tenn., Bentonville, N.C., and Huntersville, N.C.
“Our highest priority," Yoho said, "is the safety of our natural gas infrastructure, our communities and our employees.”
The Robeson project will help drive economic growth. It is expected to create about 150 jobs during its two years of construction and about 12 permanent jobs to manage operations. The project will provide provide more than $800,000 annually in tax revenue to Robeson County, benefiting health care, schools and emergency response.
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