(Dauphin Island, Ala.) July 24 -- Sixty-three miles south of Dauphin Island - well beyond the sea of rigs - a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal is making its way through the pipeline.
Joe Berno is CEO of Torp Terminal. He sat down with NBC15's Bruce Mildwurf to discuss his company's plans. "As we offload the LNG, it's vaporized at the base of the hi load and it's delivered as natural gas down into (this) pipeline," Berno said.
By cooling natural gas into a liquid, companies can transport more of it. Once the tanker is full of liquid natural gas and reaches its destination, it's reheated back to its gaseous state.
Berno said his company is proposing open loop technology which uses the natural warmth of the Gulf water to reheat the liquid gas. It's that process which has created a wave of controversy in the past.
"It's very different from what they've seen in the past," Berno said. Torp's terminal would take in approximately 126 million gallons of water a day. Historically, open loop facilities have killed whatever microscopic marine life enters the system. But Torp executives insist its design is much improved.
"We use a very small screen," Berno said. "The screen is parallel to the current."
Berno said Torp's screens are three times smaller than the screens on other proposed facilities. He added that this project is also safer than other open loop systems because it does not discharge chlorine or other chemical solutions back into the water.
Casi Callaway is an environmentalist with Mobile Baykeeper. She admits the Torp's technology is different. "There are many parts to this project that are better than the other ones that have been presented but under no circumstances is this a project we can support," Callaway said.
Mobile Baykeeper is part of the Gulf Fisheries Alliance which represents 20 organizations and more than 40,000 members statewide.
"It's got many, many unique points but it's still open loop," Callaway said. "As long as it's open loop we have to be opposed to it. It would set a precedent for open loop facilities in the Gulf. When you allow one, you allow them all."
Torp however strongly believes its terminal will have a minimum impact to marine life, but a significant one to the local economy. During construction it's projected to create close to 1,200 jobs and contribute $166 million to Alabama's economy.
Once the project is in operation, it's expected to have a $33 million a year impact to the state's economy.
Berno said he believes it's the right project at the right time. "You've got a lot of industry which is going to increase demand for natural gas in this area and this can be an opportunity to bring in additional supply to down the road," Berno said.
Additional supply could possibly lower the price of natural gas in the area but since Torp doesn't actually own the gas there is no guarantee how much of it will stay in Alabama.
Even though the LNG terminal would sit 63 miles south of Alabama's coast, the answers with regards to its long term impact still lie well beneath the surface.
Gov. Bob Riley has the ultimate vote on whether to approve Torp Terminal's proposal but every voice counts.
There is an open house Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Mobile Convention Center. A public comment meeting will follow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
ON THE NET:
www.BienvilleLNG.com
www.MobileBaykeeper.org
