KANSAS CITY, Missouri — We Energies has contracted Burns & McDonnell to provide engineer-procure-construct (EPC) services for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) peaking facilities in southeastern Wisconsin, near Ixonia and Bluff Creek. The facilities are needed to support long-term growth in the region and allow the utilities to continue providing additional firm gas supply, especially during peak periods of demand.

The peaking plants will store natural gas in liquefied form — ready to provide a reliable supply, even on short notice. The natural gas will support service for customers, residents, businesses, and other institutions — when it’s needed most, typically during the coldest days of winter.

At the Ixonia and Bluff Creek LNG facilities, natural gas will be taken from the existing pipeline system during the summer months when demand is the lowest, cooled until it turns to a liquid, and then stored in a tank until it is needed. In the winter, the LNG is warmed and returned to its vapor form and delivered to end users.

Building LNG peak shaving facilities, in lieu of a pipeline expansion, allows We Energies to continue providing reliable service at a significantly lower cost.

Burns & McDonnell will collaborate with We Energies to provide technical specification, evaluations and negotiation support for the LNG equipment and LNG tanks. Each facility will include natural gas pretreatment, liquefaction, an LNG storage tank and vaporization.

Burns & McDonnell also will work with We Energies to help with permitting, siting and detailed design for balance-of-plant systems. Corresponding procurement will also be led by Burns & McDonnell and will include boil-off gas and pretreatment tail gas compressors, air compressors, fire protection systems, electrical systems, the plant control system, the emergency generator, structural steel, and building enclosures. 

CB&I will provide the design and construction of the LNG tank at each site. Design and fabrication of the processing equipment for pretreatment and liquefaction will come from Cosmodyne, which also will provide the LNG vaporizers and truck loading/unloading skids.

"Burns & McDonnell is excited to build on the terrific relationships we have with We Energies to engineer and construct the Ixonia and Bluff Creek LNG facilities,” says Todd Sundbom, vice president in the Energy Group at Burns & McDonnell. “We’re committed to safely building these facilities to support growth in the region.”

Learn more about the ABCs of LNG through our webinar.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 7,600 engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 60 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn how we are designed to build.