FERC said on Thursday that it has granted Commonwealth’s August 13 request to commence initial site preparation activities.
In June, Commonwealth received the Commission’s final order upholding authorization for its LNG export project.
In addition, Commonwealth recently received the final non-free trade agreement export authorization from the US Department of Energy for its LNG export project.
On the offtake side, US natural gas producer EQT just signed a long-term deal with Commonwealth to buy LNG from the latter’s planned facility in Louisiana.
Under the SPA, EQT will purchase 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for 20 years on a free on board basis at a price indexed to Henry Hub from Commonwealth’s facility.
The deal remains subject to Commonwealth making a positive final investment decision (FID) on its LNG export project.
Commonwealth said it is advancing toward FID in 2025, with first LNG production expected in 2029.
Inclusive of the agreement with EQT, Commonwealth has 5 mtpa of offtake under a long-term, binding agreement, including previous deals with Glencore, Jera, and Petronas, with a line of sight to subscribe its remaining capacity.
Moreover, Commonwealth recently authorized an order for six Baker Hughes refrigerant turbo compressors required for the liquefaction process of its planned LNG export project.
The order will be placed by Technip Energies, which Commonwealth announced will lead the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) execution of its LNG facility.
