< p>PORT ALLEN, La. (AP) — Houston-based Waller Marine will build a small-scale liquefied natural gas facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge in Port Allen to supply vessels with the cleaner-burning fuel they will need to keep up with tougher environmental standards.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/Z6vp1i ) the facility is small compared with the billion-dollar LNG projects announced in south Louisiana in recent years. Company officials said Thursday Waller Marine plans to spend $200 million initially, though that amount could double as it adds capacity.

Taylor Norton, Waller's chief general counsel, said the facility would create upward of 300 construction jobs. It will employ 45 people initially and could double that when fully built out.

Norton said Waller Marine wants to have the LNG facility operational within the next year and a half.

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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com