An expansion of the Cameron LNG liquefied natural gas export plant won approval by federal regulators, advancing development of a fourth gas-chilling unit.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) approved the new unit and changes that would allow the facility to load two ships simultaneously. Cameron LNG is owned by a venture including Sempra Infrastructure, TotalEnergies, Mitsui and Japan LNG Investment Co.
The plant's fourth processing unit would add 6.75 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). Construction would begin next year and when complete in 2027 export up to 21.7 Mtpa.
Houston-based Cameron's Hackberry, Louisiana, project is part of an ongoing buildup of U.S. LNG export capacity to address rising demand for the fuel in Europe and Asia. Three other U.S. Gulf Coast projects under development will add a combined 5.75 Mtpa by 2025.
The Cameron LNG liquefaction facility is located near the southwest Louisiana town of Hackberry straddling the boundary between Calcasieu and Cameron Parish. The project includes three liquefaction trains with a projected export of 12 Mtpa of LNG or approximately 1.7 Bcf/d.
The company commenced commercial operations for Train 1 in August 2019, Train 2 in March 2020 and Train 3 in August 2020. In 2016, Cameron LNG received all the regulatory approvals needed to expand its facility.
In January 2022, Cameron LNG requested a revision to its existing authorized permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that proposed to modify the expansion project by adding a single LNG train with a production capacity of 6.75 Mtpa of LNG instead of the previously authorized two trains at approximately 4.98 Mtpa each.
