09-06-08 Piedmont Natural Gas said that its new 1.25-bn cf liquefied natural gas peak storage facility in south-eastern North Carolina will be online in time for the 2012-2013 heating season.
The company will design, construct, own and operate the facility. Even though the project is still in the preliminary engineering phase, Piedmont's investment in the facility is expected to be about $ 300 mm to $ 350 mm. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company plans to select a final site in Robeson County in coming weeks.

When completed, the new LNG facility will be the fifth such peak storage facility that Piedmont owns or operates within its three-state service area.
The company has two other LNG facilities in North Carolina and one in Nashville, Tennessee. The company is also an equity partner in Pine Needle LNG located near Greensboro, North Carolina. The Robeson County operation will provide the company with additional capacity to meet the firm requirements of its growing customer base in the Carolinas, Piedmont Chairman, President and CEO Thomas Skains said.

Piedmont has utilized LNG to help manage its seasonal winter demand since the mid-1970's.
There are more than 100 such LNG peak-storage facilities in operation in the United States.