US LNG exporting giant Cheniere has officially started building its Stage 3 expansion project at the Corpus Christi LNG export plant in Texas.
The Corpus Christi liquefaction plant now consists of three operational trains with each having a capacity of about 5 mtpa.
In June, Cheniere took a final investment decision on Stage 3 expansion worth about $8 billion.
Under the expansion, Cheniere will add up to seven midscale trains, each with an expected liquefaction capacity of about 1.49 mtpa, with a total production capacity of more than 10 mtpa.
Earlier this year, US engineer and construction firm Bechtel already started early works at the expansion site.
Cheniere held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday with partners, customers, and officials to formally launch the construction works.
Bechtel and Cheniere expect to complete the works in 2025.
Besides this, Cheniere aims to further boost the capacity of the plant.
Cheniere plans to build two more midscale liquefaction trains and one storage tank as part of the third expansion phase at the plant.
The proposed midscale trains 8 and 9 will each have a capacity of 1.64 mtpa. This expansion also includes one 220,000-cbm LNG storage tank.
Cheniere is also looking to build the fourth expansion phase at the Corpus Christi plant as part of its “20/20 Vision” long-term capital allocation plan.
The LNG exporter aims to boost its capacity to 90 mtpa. This includes further expansion of the company’s 30 mtpa six-train Sabine Pass LNG plant in Louisiana, as well as debottlenecking.