LNG facility to break ground at Port of Greater Baton Rouge next year

Construction on a natural gas liquefaction and fueling facility is set to get underway on roughly 80 acres at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge next year. Houston-based Waller Marine Inc. and Omaha-based Tenaska NG Fuels LLC announced today plans to build the facility, known as Tenaska Bayou LNG, with construction expected to take between 18 months and two years. Commercial operation is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017. The facility initially will be capable of producing 200,000 gallons of LNG daily, the companies say. According to a conversion table provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, 200,000 gallons of LNG is the energy equivalent of more than 133,000 gallons of gasoline. The plant will also provide compressed natural gas. The companies say the LNG and compressed gas will be a lower-cost and cleaner-burning alternative for high-horsepower marine, transportation, natural gas and oil exploration, as well as production industries throughout the region. “Baton Rouge is a great location for this facility,” says Doug Lauver, vice president of LNG development for Tenaska, in a prepared statement. “It’s ideal for serving marine, trucking and industrial customers, and Louisiana and Baton Rouge have positive business climates. The energy infrastructure to support the facility is in place, and a local workforce is available to build and operate the plant.” The companies have more details on today’s announcement.