French company proposes natural-gas port 10 miles off Ft Lauderdale coast

[seafan]

French company proposes natural-gas port 10 miles off Fort Lauderdale coast

By David Fleshler
Posted December 17 2005


A French energy company plans to build a natural-gas terminal in the ocean about 10 miles off Fort Lauderdale, in a proposal that would allow tankers the size of aircraft carriers to deliver fuel to South Florida's power plants.
Suez, based in Paris, expects to file an application with the Coast Guard in the next few months to build a complex of buoys, anchors, cables and pipes to allow tankers to unload natural gas at sea. The gas would go via pipeline to power plants, most likely in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Demand for natural gas has soared because it emits far less pollution than oil or coal, the other major fuels for power plants. But the plan is likely to face hard questions in South Florida, where previous proposals for natural-gas pipelines drew protests over concerns about coral reefs, parks and public safety. Recent proposals for offshore natural-gas ports near Massachusetts have generated fierce opposition because they would reduce access to rich fishing grounds.

The public will have several opportunities to comment in the coming months as the Coast Guard prepares an environmental impact statement that will look at the possibility of accidents, harm to marine life, explosions, terrorism and other dangers. If Suez receives approval for the project, it expects to be in operation by the summer of 2010.

snip

Dan McGinnis, vice president for business development of Suez Energy N.A., based in Houston, said the port and pipeline would provide an alternative source of natural gas to a fast-growing state that's dangerously dependent on the Gulf of Mexico for energy.

snip

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cport17dec17,0,3036909.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Something no one has considered... perhaps. I know that there

are fuel cells capable of using a diesel that is clean, and by clean I mean immaculately clean. Rentech based in Colorodo has a patented Fischer-Tropsch
process for turning flare gas and natural gas into high speed lubricants, waxes and get this LIQUID PURE DIESEL with no heavy metals nor sulphur.


Now, thinking ahead, liquid fuels do not need compression nor liquification, nor do they need to be housed in high pressure vessels. My idea would be to convert the natural gas to liquid diesel and then use this diesel in fuel cells that can handle it... I don't know if this can work, but somebody who
does know should think about it.

www.rentechinc.com

[seafan]

2. Interesting. Re: this story, though, my hackles are already up.

I wonder how long we can avoid putting serious effort into alternative energy. Think of the jobs it would create for people HERE. Farmers could grow corn, etc for food AND fuel development.

Hey! That would be a good use for Monsanto! Instead of forcing genetically altered crops onto everybody's plate, let them grow grain for fuel production.

Sorry to wander off topic, but this will be a story to watch, especially who is pushing it *behind the scenes.*