Venture Global's 27.2mn t/yr (3.6bn ft³/d) Plaquemines LNG facility in Louisiana received US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval today to introduce natural gas to its 12th liquefaction block.
In a separate order on 4 June, FERC also authorised the Plaquemines facility to commission its third jetty.
The plant now has FERC's permission to run gas through 13 of its 18 blocks as it progresses its faster-than-expected ramp-up. Pipeline data show Plaquemines feedgas nominations have averaged 2.47bn ft³/d over 1-5 June, up from 1.97bn ft³/d over 1-5 May shortly before Venture Global began commissioning the 13th block on 8 May.
Venture Global is bringing the plant on line in two phases. The first phase, consisting of blocks 1-12, is now fully authorised to take feedgas, and the second phase is blocks 13-18. Each block contains two trains.
The phase 2 ramp-up will increase in the third quarter, Venture Global chief executive Mike Sabel told investors in mid-May, suggesting the plant will reach full production around the start of the fourth quarter. Chief financial officer Jack Thayer said at the time that Venture Global was using temporary power to drive production of the first phase and would shift the temporary power supply to the second phase once a contractor finishes building the first phase's 710MW power island.
But a prolonged commissioning period is likely, similar to the company's first LNG export plant, the 12.4mn t/yr Calcasieu Pass facility in Louisiana, which began contracted deliveries in April, more than three years after exporting its first cargo.
Venture Global plans to begin commercial deliveries of LNG from Plaquemines' first phase in the fourth quarter of 2026 with exports from the second phase starting in mid-2027.
