Venture Global has initiated liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at its $21bn Plaquemines LNG facility in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.
The milestone comes 30 months after the company made its final investment decision (FID). This makes Plaquemines LNG one of the fastest greenfield LNG projects to achieve production, alongside Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass facility.
With a nameplate capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), Plaquemines LNG is expected to rank among the largest LNG export facilities globally once fully operational.
Venture Global CEO and co-founder Mike Sabel said: “Reaching first LNG at Plaquemines at this pace will enable the US to remain the top exporter of LNG in the world.
“Between current and planned facilities, Venture Global is prepared to invest $50bn in energy projects based in the US which will create jobs, support local economies, strengthen the balance of trade and unleash much needed US LNG supply to our allies.”
The development of the Plaquemines LNG project has been divided into two phases. FID for Phase One was reached in May 2022, while Phase Two was approved in March 2023.
Venture Global’s construction strategy allows the facility to begin production and exports even as additional infrastructure, including 36 liquefaction trains and related facilities, is still under development. This approach is aimed at increasing LNG supply to meet growing global demand while addressing challenges related to tight supply chains and delays in other projects.
Located on a 630-acre site along the Mississippi River, approximately 32km south of New Orleans, the facility benefits from 2km of river frontage, enabling deep-water access without requiring dredging.
Each of the liquefaction trains at the Plaquemines LNG project will have a capacity of 0.626MTPA, organised into 18 blocks. The gas will be pre-treated through six dedicated units before being processed in the liquefaction trains.
Four LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 200,000m3, will provide on-site storage, while three ship-loading berths are designed to handle LNG vessels with capacities of up to 200,000m3.
To power operations, the site will include two combined-cycle gas turbine power plants, with a peak capacity of 720MW, as well as smaller aeroderivative turbines. The facility also features a utility dock along the Mississippi River to manage equipment and material deliveries.
Two new pipelines, measuring 24km and 19km in length and 42” in diameter, will connect the facility to existing interstate natural gas networks.
The Plaquemines LNG project employs mid-scale liquefaction technology, with two electrically driven trains housed in each of the facility’s 18 blocks. This modular design allows for scalable production.
Each gas pre-treatment train is built to handle up to 25% of the project’s pre-treatment requirements, optimising gas processing efficiency.
