Venture Global has formally launched the permitting process for a massive brownfield expansion of its Plaquemines LNG facility in Louisiana, filing applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Venture Global, Inc. announced Monday that it has filed key applications with federal regulators to proceed with a major brownfield expansion of its Plaquemines Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility, a move that will dramatically increase the complex's total production capacity. The company submitted its comprehensive permitting and approval application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and concurrently sought export authorizations from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The brownfield expansion is structured as a phased development, designed to be built incrementally across three distinct stages. It will incorporate 32 state-of-the-art modular liquefaction trains, which together are projected to add over 30.0 MTPA in peak production capacity. Once fully commissioned, the expansion will propel the total peak production capacity across the entire Plaquemines complex to an astounding figure exceeding 58.0 MTPA.
The planned project, officially known as the Plaquemines LNG brownfield expansion, reflects a substantial increase in Venture Global’s ambition for the Louisiana site. Due to continued optimization of its modular liquefaction trains and robust market signals, the company has increased the expected output of this expansion by nearly 40% from initial public announcements made earlier this year.
Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel emphasized the strategic thinking behind the decision to accelerate the project’s scale. “Our decision to significantly increase the project's permitted capacity reflects the strong market demand we continue to see, and this expansion will play a vital role in meeting that demand,” Sabel stated. He characterized the filing as a crucial "strategic step" that provides the company with "the optionality to develop a scalable project that can efficiently meet market needs as they evolve."
The brownfield approach, which involves bolting the new capacity onto the existing Plaquemines infrastructure, is considered a logical and economically efficient opportunity to leverage the facility’s already strong footprint, including its pipeline connections and Mississippi River frontage. The original Plaquemines LNG project, already under development, is one of the newest LNG export facilities in the U.S.
The initial expansion plans were first revealed at an event earlier this year attended by high-profile officials, including U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, underscoring the project’s significance to national energy policy and Louisiana’s economic growth.
