The Plaquemines LNG terminal under construction in Louisiana is a step closer to bringing its terminal into service after federal regulators authorized it to re-export cargoes it would need to import to cool down its facilities.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said the liquefied natural gas facility’s developer Venture Global LNG Inc. could export up to 6 Bcf of foreign-sourced LNG to both U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries and non-FTA countries between July 11, 2024 and July 10, 2026.
Earlier this year, Venture Global filed an application with the DOE saying it would need to import at least three cargoes so facilities at Plaquemines could be cooled down for cryogenic operations. The company said it “has determined that the optimal method for this part of the start-up of its terminal facilities is to import foreign-sourced LNG by vessel.”
[In the Eye of the Storm: North American LNG project developers continue to grapple with the Biden administration's pause on non-FTA permits. Has the pause given impetus to other projects? How are Mexico LNG projects advancing? Tune in to hear from LNG industry analyst Sergio Chapa in the latest episode of NGI's Hub & Flow.]
Venture Global had requested authorization to export the foreign cargoes by July 22 at the latest. The facility already has authorization to export domestically produced LNG to FTA and non-FTA countries until 2050.
The terminal has also started receiving periodic feed gas deliveries as it works toward start-up and tests pipeline infrastructure.
The first phase of Plaquemines was sanctioned in 2022, and the second phase was given the green light last year. CEO Michael Sabel said earlier this year that the 2.6 Bcf/d Plaquemines facility could start producing LNG at some point this summer.
