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The ministry said in a statement that a delegation from Thailand traveled to Alaska on May 6 to meet and discuss the Alaska LNG project with officials from the Alaska government, state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC), and US energy firm Glenfarne.
The visit followed a March meeting in Thailand with Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, who relayed a proposal by US President Donald Trump to include Thailand in the Alaska LNG development, the statement said.
According to the ministry, this development would support Thailand’s increasing energy demand in the future, especially natural gas, and promote Thailand’s role as an LNG trading hub in the Asian region in the future.
LNG shipments from Alaska to Thailand are expected to take only 10–15 days, compared to 25–30 days from the Middle East, resulting into cost and time savings, that statement said.
The ministry will consider importing 3-5 million tons per year of LNG from Alaska, depending on the price and other conditions.
Also, the ministry tasked PTT and Egco to negotiate the details of the project and consider the business suitability for pushing forward with the cooperation on the Alaska LNG project, it said.
Thailand currently imports LNG via two import terminals operated by PTT.
These terminals include the first Map Ta Put LNG terminal (LMPT 1) with a capacity of 11.5 mtpa and the second Map Ta Phut LMPT2 LNG terminal, also known as the Nong Fab LNG terminal, with a capacity of 7.5 mtpa.
Thailand’s Gulf and PTT Tank Terminal, a unit of PTT, are also developing the third LNG terminal in the country.
Alaska LNG
In March, Glenfarne signed definitive agreements with AGDC to become the majority owner of the giant Alaska LNG export project.
Alaska LNG is designed to deliver North Slope natural gas to Alaskans and Alaska utilities and export up to 20 million tonnes of LNG per year (mtpa).
Under the agreement, AGDC is divesting 75 percent of 8 Star Alaska, a subsidiary AGDC created to hold and manage all Alaska LNG project assets, to Glenfarne.
Glenfarne said it assumes the role of Alaska LNG’s lead developer and will lead all remaining development work of Alaska LNG from front-end engineering and design (FEED) through to a final investment decision (FID).
AGDC remains a 25 percent owner of 8 Star Alaska and a key partner to Glenfarne on the project.
Alaska LNG’s three subprojects are an 807-mile 42-inch pipeline, the 20 mtpa LNG export terminal in Nikiski, Alaska, and a North Slope-based carbon capture plant to remove and safely store 7 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Glefarne is targeting a final decision on the pipeline project in 2025.
Market interest
In March, Taiwan’s CPC Corp signed a letter of intent with AGDC to buy LNG and invest in the planned Alaska LNG project.
AGDC also said that market interest in Alaska LNG continues to accelerate “rapidly” following the agreement with Glenfarne and President Trump’s executive order identifying Alaska LNG as a national priority.
Besides Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea may be interested in buying LNG from Alaska.
Shipping LNG from Alaska to Asian countries would take less time and effort compared to US Gulf Coast LNG export plants, as LNG carriers would not need to pass through the Panama Canal.