Sempra announced this in its 2024 results report on Tuesday.
The firm said the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 development project is receiving “strong” commercial interest.
“Sempra Infrastructure continues to hold substantial, active discussions with world-class companies for participation in the Phase 2 project, which is already anchored by a non-binding HOA for LNG offtake and a proposed equity investment with a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, as well as a fixed-price engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Bechtel,” it said.
The company said it is targeting a final investment decision in 2025, pending the execution of definitive commercial agreements, obtaining permits, and securing financing, among other factors.
Bechtel is already building the first phase of the Port Arthur LNG export terminal with a capacity of some 13 mtpa under an EPC deal worth about $10.5 billion.
The development of the proposed second phase would increase the total liquefaction capacity of the facility to about 26 mtpa.
In November 2024, Justin Bird, CEO of Sempra Infrastructure, said the company expects to secure DOE’s non-FTA export approval for the second phase of its Port Arthur LNG export project in the first half of 2025.
Sempra Infrastructure previously won approval from the US FERC for the proposed Phase 2 project, and it also secured the FTA approval from the DOE.
DOE still needs to approve Sempra Infrastructure’s non-FTA application for the project.
Last month, President Donald Trump lifted a moratorium on non-FTA LNG export permits by the former Biden administration.
Trump issued the executive order, which was widely expected, just hours after officially taking over his second four-year term as the president.
Costa Azul LNG to launch in 2026
Besides the Porth Arthur project, Sempra also plans to expand its Cameron LNG terminal.
Cameron LNG operates the existing three-train 12 mtpa liquefaction facility and the expansion project includes building the fourth train with a capacity of about 6 mtpa.
Sempra said in the report that Cameron LNG loaded nearly 200 cargoes in 2024.
In addition, Sempra said that Energía Costa Azul LNG Phase 1 “continues to target the start-up of commercial operations in spring of 2026.”
In August 2024, the firm announced that its Energia Costa Azul LNG export project in Mexico had experienced labor and productivity challenges.
Sempra said at the time that mechanical completion and first LNG are expected to occur in 2025, with timing of commercial operations under the sales and purchase agreements targeted for spring 2026.
Sempra Infrastructure and France’s TotalEnergies are adding natural gas liquefaction capabilities to the existing ECA LNG regasification terminal, located north of Ensenada in Baja California.
The partners took FID on the development back in 2020, and ECA LNG Phase 1 includes a single-train liquefaction facility with a nameplate capacity of 3.25 Mtpa of LNG.
Also, TotalEnergies and Mitsui & Co will offtake a combined 2.5 mtpa of LNG from the facility under 20-year deals.
Sempra initially expected to launch the LNG terminal in 2024.
