Dominion Energy Cove Point (DECP), a unit of Dominion Energy has introduced feed gas into its $4bn newly built natural gas liquefaction facility in the US state of Maryland which is in the process of being commissioned in Lusby.

The liquefaction facility, which is located on the Chesapeake Bay at the Cove Point LNG Terminal, has a capacity of 5.25mtpa of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Dominion says that all important equipment of the liquefaction facility has been operated and is being commissioned as anticipated after a comprehensive round of testing and quality assurance related work.

The natural gas required for liquefaction at the time of commissioning of the facility will be provided by Shell NA LNG, which will also off-take the produced LNG.

After its commissioning, DECP will produce LNG for ST Cove Point, a joint venture formed between Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Gas, and for GGULL, the US affiliate of GAIL (India) under 20-year contracts.

Construction of the facility started in October 2014 after over three years of reviews and approvals at the local, state and federal levels.

Dominion, in a statement, said: “With a cost of $4 billion, it is the largest construction project ever thus far for Maryland and for Dominion Energy. Construction has involved more than 10,000 craft workers and a payroll of more than $565 million.”

IHI/Kiewit Cove Point, a joint venture formed by IHI E&C International Corporation of Houston and Nebraska-based Kiewit Corporation was given the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for new liquefaction facilities at the Cove Point terminal.

The liquefaction facility has been designed to process around 750 million standard cubic feet of inlet feed gas each day.

According to Dominion, natural gas-fired turbines installed at the facility will drive the primary refrigerant compressors.

The facility will also produce additional power on site to cover the power requirements of the liquefaction plant.