SpaceX has received the green light to build an air separator facility near Boca Chica Beach in Cameran County. The commissioners’ court voted to deliver a beachfront construction certificate and dune protection permit for the company’s project, located less than 300 feet from the area’s sand dunes.
The air separator facility will produce gases required to fuel space flight launches, breaking down air into its primary components – nitrogen and oxygen. These materials are converted to their liquid forms, where the liquid oxygen is used as a propellant and liquid nitrogen for testing and operations.
At full buildout, the factory will be composed of 20 structures on 1.66 acres, including a 15-story tower. Developing an on-site facility will enable SpaceX to quickly produce its own fuel without relying on hundreds of trucks delivering liquid nitrogen and oxygen from its Brownsville location.
During the meeting’s public comment period, one of the chief concerns voiced was about the facility’s impact on local vegetation and wildlife along the beachfront sand dunes. The facility will be built 280 feet from the line of vegetation and will require extensive mitigation measures to compensate for displaced sand and plant life.
While the plan outlines efforts to mitigate negative effects and expected permanent impacts on dune soil and native vegetation cover, public commenters were uncertain if the measures would sufficiently compensate for damage to the environment. As part of the court’s permit approval, SpaceX will be responsible for leaving the coastal area in as good a condition or better than before by restoring or replacing every dune destroyed during the construction process.
Photo by SpaceX from Pexels
