US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today approved liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports at the Venture Global CP2 LNG export project proposed for Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
Secretary Wright said the benefits of expanding US LNG exports “have never been more clear” and the government was clearing the way for projects like CP2 in order to meet growing future energy demand.
Today’s authorisation conditionally grants CP2 authorisation to export LNG to non-free trade agreement countries. Once constructed, CP2, owned by Venture Global, will be able to export up to 3.96 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of LNG.
The CP Express 48-inch-diameter, 85-mile pipeline will originate in Jasper and Newton County, Texas and feed natural gas to the proposed LNG facility in Cameron Parish, supported by a six-mile lateral pipeline. A new compressor station is proposed to be constructed near Moss Lake.
Alongside 36 0.626 million tonnes per annum liquefaction trains, configured in 18 blocks, will be four 200,000 sq m full containment LNG storage tanks, complemented by two marine loading berths.
CP2 is the third LNG export project that has been developed by Venture Global, with the Calcasieu Pass project coming online in March 2022 – it is due to start commercial operations next month – and the Plaquemines LNG project beginning exports in late 2024. Venture Global announced plans for an $18bn brownfield expansion at the Plaquemines facility earlier this month.
The latest move marks the fifth LNG-related approval from the US Department of Energy (DOE) since President Trump took office, following an export approval to Commonwealth LNG, removing barriers for LNG as bunkering fuel, time extension for the Golden Pass LNG terminal and another extension for the Delfin LNG project to 2029.
“The CP2 project is another project that has been waiting too long for regulatory action at DOE, and I am glad to see that being corrected today,” said Tala Goudarzi, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
The DOE said it expects to issue a final order to CP2 LNG in the coming months.
Accompanying the buildout of LNG export terminals is an increase in natural gas pipelines across the US, with approximately 8.5 Bcf/d of pipeline additions for delivery to LNG export terminals recently completed in Texas and Louisiana.
