Venture Global took a final investment decision on the first phase of the Plaquemines project with a capacity of 13.3 mtpa and the related pipeline in May 2022.
In March 2023, the company sanctioned the second phase of the Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana and also secured $7.8 billion in project financing.
The full project, including the second stage, has 36 modular units, configured in 18 blocks.
Earlier this year, Venture Global received approval from FERC to boost the capacity of its Plaquemines LNG terminal to 27.2 mtpa, without any new facilities, construction activities, or modifications to the previously authorized facilities.
However, the LNG exporter is now seeking approval from the regulator to increase capacity further.
Venture Global filed an amendment to its FERC application on December 17.
In this amendment, Plaquemines LNG requests FERC authorization to increase the export terminal’s authorized peak liquefaction capacity achievable under optimal conditions from
27.2 mtpa to 35 mtpa of LNG – or from approximately 1,405.33 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to
approximately 1,873 Bcf per year.
Plaquemines LNG told FERC that this proposed additional increase in the peak liquefaction capacity “reflects refinements in the conditions and assumptions concerning the maximum potential output of the already authorized facilities.”
The requested increase in peak liquefaction does not involve the construction of any new facilities, it said.
Plaquemines LNG requests that the Commission authorize the increased peak capacity by no later than June 25, 2026.
Expansion
Plaquemines LNG noted that this amendment of the authorization for the existing facilities, “of course, is entirely unrelated to the expansion project and does not depend upon it in any way.”
Venture Global now plans to more than double liquefaction capacity at its Plaquemines LNG terminal due to optimization of liquefaction trains and “strong” market demand.
In November, Venture Global filed with FERC its application for the permitting and approval of the Plaquemines LNG brownfield expansion project.
The company also filed with the US Department of Energy (DOE) for the export authorizations associated with this expansion.
In March, Venture Global began the pre-filing process at FERC for the $18 billion brownfield expansion of its Plaquemines LNG terminal.
The company said at the time that the project would comprise 24 LNG trains and related infrastructure, expected to produce “at least 18.6 mtpa.”
After that, Venture Global added four more liquefaction blocks to the proposed brownfield expansion in July.
As a result of this modification, the proposed production capacity of the project increased from approximately 18.6 mtpa to approximately 24.8 mtpa.
However, Venture Global has now added further capacity to the planned expansion.
Venture Global has since March increased the expected output from this project by “nearly 40 percent from the previously announced plans due to the continued optimization of our liquefaction trains and strong market demand,” the company said in November.
This bolt-on expansion will be built incrementally in three phases and consist of 32 modular liquefaction trains, adding in total over 30 mtpa in peak production capacity, according to Venture Global.
Venture Global said at the time that this would bring the total peak production capacity across the entire Plaquemines complex to over 58 mtpa.
Including the new uprate amendment, the total peak production capacity across the entire Plaquemines complex would rise to 65 mtpa.
