BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Some have serious concerns about where an energy company wants to build a plant to fuel the world’s busiest cruise port.
The liquefied natural gas plant wouldn’t be built at Port Canaveral.
Its proposed location would be close to a large neighborhood in Merritt Island.
The port just reclaimed the title as the world’s busiest cruise port, and to power all those big ships, the port needs more LNG.
However, just like the port is challenged with space for new terminals, it’s also challenged with where to put a plant.
The port owns undeveloped land west of the port on the barge canal in Merritt Island.
On the other side of SR-528, though, are hundreds of homes like Vince Cipponeri’s.
“It’s roughly probably 2,000 feet away from us as the crow flies,” the resident said. “So, yeah, I am worried about it. If it blows up, I have no idea what’s gonna happen to us.”
Cipponeri told Merritt Island Community Correspondent James Sparvero his concerns also include property values declining.
“It’s almost like having, I guess, a refinery right next to you,” he said. “It might be a better place near the port, not really here in our backyard.”
The port said the plant could support the space industry, too.
Falcon 9 rockets, like one that launched a classified national security mission Tuesday, don’t use LNG, but the SpaceX Starship does.
The Space Force said that rocket, which has about 16 times the thrust of a Falcon 9, could launch from Florida for the first time in the next couple of months.
The port said it would be premature to talk about the plant proposal before watching a presentation from the energy company, Chesapeake Utilities, during Wednesday’s commission meeting.
The port said there might be more than one proposed site for the plant.
Stick with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates to this developing story.