A pipeline and natural gas liquidation plant proposed in Charlton was recommended for approval on Sept. 20 and will go up for a final vote before the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board next week, according to a notice on Mass.gov.
Northeast Energy Center, LLC, which is registered to Philadelphia energy infrastructure company Liberty Energy Trust, is proposing construction of a liquefied natural gas facility and pipeline in Charlton. The project will cost $100 million, including the cost of land acquisition, according to the siting board’s tentative decision report.
The plant would liquefy pipeline natural gas, store the LNG, and load tanker trucks. It would be capable of storing 2 million gallons of LNG and producing up to 250,000 gallons per day, according to the siting board’s tentative decision.
The siting board’s tentative decision, which recommended approval of the project, said it will consider and compare two sites for the project, one along Route 169 and one along Route 20.
Northeast Energy Center’s proposed location is 304 Southbridge Road along Route 169 in Charlton, which neighbors the headquarters of Incom, Inc., a fiber optic products supplier. Incom, Inc. owns the land at 304 Southbridge Road, which is assessed at $197,900 by the Town of Charlton.
In a letter on Sept. 24, the Charlton Planning Board expressed disappointment with the siting board’s tentative decision as it would exempt the project from zoning bylaws and exclude the town from formally reviewing the project.Â
The siting board will vote on the project at a virtual meeting on Wednesday. Public comment will be heard, and commenters must notify the committee they wish to speak by Tuesday.
