Northern Natural seeks FERC permission for Northern Lights 2021 expansion
Berkshire Hathaway Energy's Northern Natural Gas requested US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permission to build its Northern Lights 2021 natural gas pipeline expansion. The expansion will provide 45.7 MMcfd of incremental winter peak-day service and prevent existing customers from bypassing Northern’s system.
Included in the project are:
- A new 11,153-hp compressor station in Pine County, Minn.
- Additional compression at the Pierz station in Morrison County, Minn.
- Pipeline loop and extension totaling 1.43 miles.
- Replacement of 0.08 miles of 8-in. OD pipe with 12-in. OD pipe (Viking interconnect branch line).
- Modifications to the Pierz interconnect.
The Pine County compressor station will tie-in to Northern’s existing 20-in. OD B-line and use a Solar Taurus 70 turbine. Additional compression at Pierz will be accomplished via an 1,100-hp reciprocating unit tied in to Northern’s proposed 12-in. OD Viking interconnect.
The three shippers requiring incremental volume increases by Nov. 1, 2021, are CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. (34.9 MMcfd), Northern States Power Co. (9.5 MMcfd), and Midwest Natural Gas (1.4 MMcfd). Northern requested FERC approval no later than Mar. 16, 2021, to meet this date.
Northern Lights is a project designed to meet customers’ supply-growth requirements through 2026. Northern Lights 2021 will cost an estimated $57.4 million.
