Plans are firming for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to go on line in two Caribbean nations by yearend 1998.
Units of Enron Corp., Houston, and Kenetech Corp., San Francisco, formed EcoElectrica LP, a 50-50 venture, to build an LNG marine terminal on Puerto Rico's southern coast.
The facility would underpin development of Puerto Rico's first gas fired power generating station. It's a proposed 461,000 kw cogeneration project and 4 million gal/day water desalinization plant on a 30 acre site in Penuelas, both of which also are to be developed by EcoElectrica.
Enron Development Corp. and Kenetech Energy Systems Inc. expect to start commercial operation of EcoElectrica's facilities in late 1997 or early 1998.
Meantime, a group of companies made up of Amoco Trinidad LNG Co., British Gas Trinidad LNG Ltd., Cabot Trinidad LNG Corp., and National Gas Co. of Trinidad & Tobago (NGC) let two key engineering design contracts for a gas liquefaction plant and LNG marine terminal to be built at the planned Brightoma Brea industrial area on Trinidad's west coast.
LNG deliveries to the U.S. and Europe from the proposed 400 MMcfd terminal are to begin in fourth quarter 1998.
Most of the 80 MMcfd of gas needed to feed EcoElectrica's LNG plant at Penuelas is expected to come from Trinidad & Tobago, where Enron is producing about 100 MMcfd.
About 500 MMcfd of gas feedstock for Trinidad's LNG project is to be supplied by subsea pipeline systems from fields off Trinidad's eastern coast operated by project developers and others.
The proposed power plant at Penuelas is to be a combined cycle unit, including two gas turbines and a steam turbine.
Power generated by the plant is expected to help offset Puerto Rico's near total dependence on oil as an energy source.
EcoElectrica is negotiating a power sales agreement with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa), which earlier this year chose the Penuelas project for development from among proposals from more than 15 firms around the world.
The Enron-Kenetech combine aims to sell Prepa electrical power for more than two decades for less than 5.5/kw-hr in 1994 dollars.
Prepa estimates Puerto Rico by 2000 will need to add about I million kw of power generating capacity to meet demand.
EcoElectrica expects to conclude sales agreements this month with Prepa. Premitting is under way, but officials said as long as 1 year still could be needed to acquire all necessary approvals before construction can begin.
Preliminary estimates place the cost of the project at about $550 million.
TRINIDAD PROJECT
Trinidad & Tobago's LNG development at first is to include marine facilities, a single liquefaction train, utilities to assure self-sufficiency, and office accommodations.
Completion of design and engineering work on the project, in progress under a contract with a joint venture of Chiyoda Corp. and Hudson Engineering Corp., both of Houston, is expected to continue through June 1995. Hudson is a unit of McDermott Inc., New Orleans.
Air Products & Chemicals Inc. is to provide detailed design of the LNG plant's liquefaction process.
Project partners have let contracts to Ragoonath General Contracting, Trinidad & Tobago, for site preparation, to Golder Associates for onshore geotechnical site investigations, and to Dames & Moore for marine soil borings. The agreements with Golder and Dames & Moore include provisions for subcontracting arrangements with local contractors.
Amoco Trinidad and British Gas Trinidad each own 32.5% interests in the project, Cabot LNG 25%, and NGC 10%.
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