Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG gets OK to introduce gas to GTG

US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG has received approval from US energy regulators to introduce natural gas to the first gas turbine generator (GTG) at the Plaquemines LNG terminal in Louisiana as part of the plant’s commissioning process.

The US FERC approved Venture Global Plaquemines LNG’s request from July 3 to commission and introduce hazardous fluids to GTG-1, it said in a filling dated July 10.

Venture Global said in April it expects to start LNG production at its Plaquemines LNG export plant in mid-2024.

The company also expects the commissioning process for the Plaquemines LNG terminal to take about 24 months.

Venture Global did not respond to recent requests by LNG Prime to comment on the commissioning of the facility.

Two phases

Plaquemines LNG phase one customers include PGNiG, now part of Orlen, Sinopec, CNOOC, Shell, and EDF, while phase two customers include ExxonMobil, Chevron, EnBW, New Fortress Energy, China Gas, Petronas, and Excelerate Energy.

Venture Global took a final investment decision in May 2022 on the first phase of the Plaquemines LNG project and the related pipeline.

The company also boosted the size of the first phase from 10 mtpa to 13.3 mtpa and it also secured $13.2 billion in project financing.

In March last year, the company sanctioned the second phase of the Plaquemines LNG export plant and secured $7.8 billion in project financing.

The full project, including the second stage, will have a nominal capacity of 20 mtpa coming from 36 modular units, configured in 18 blocks, Venture Global said.

It includes two 720 MW combined cycle gas turbine power plants, including additional 25 MW gas-fired aeroderivative turbines.

Per 10 mtpa, each 720 MW inside-the-fence CCGT power plant will use feed gas, together with boil off gas, to produce the power required to drive the electric motors of the liquefiers, according to Venture Global.

Worth mentioning here, the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) last month gave the green light to Venture Global LNG for its proposed Plaquemines LNG uprate project.

According to a FERC filing, PHMSA issued a letter of determination on June 21 for the project aimed at increasing the peak liquefaction capacity at the Plaquemines LNG terminal from about 24 mtpa to 27.2 mtpa.

Modules and tanks

Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG plant received in August last year its first liquefaction modules.

Baker Hughes ships these modular units to the US from its manufacturing facility in Italy, the same as the firm did for Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass project.

In December 2023, Venture Global LNG also completed raising the roof on the fourth and final storage tank.

The firm completed raising the roof on the first tank in February, the second tank in April, and the third tank in September.

McDermott’s unit CB&I won a contract from a unit of Venture Global to build the first two LNG storage tanks as part of the first phase while the second phase includes two tanks as well.

Most Popular

Gastrade: Alexandroupolis FSRU remains offline due to technical issue

"For the moment, regasification services have been suspended due to a technical issue, for which we will provide further...

CMA CGM inks LoI for LNG-powered containerships

CMA CGM and CSSC's Jiangnan Shipyard recently signed the LoI, sources told LNG Prime on Wednesday. According to the sources,...

PetroVietnam Gas expects to award Thi Vai LNG expansion contract this year

This was revealed during a meeting between officials from PetroVietnam and PetroVietnam Gas on February 3, according to a...

More News Like This

Venture Global LNG awards contracts to Baker Hughes

Baker Hughes has been awarded a "major" contract to provide a modularized LNG system and power island to support...

FERC: Venture Global nears completion of Calcasieu Pass LNG repairs

Calcasieu Pass produced its first LNG on January 19, 2022, moving from FID to LNG production in 29 months, and the first...

Venture Global gets OK to introduce gas to seventh Plaquemines liquefaction block

The US FERC approved Venture Global Plaquemines LNG’s request from January 22 to commission and introduce hazardous fluids to...

Germany to receive third Plaquemines LNG cargo

The 2021-built 174,000-cbm, Isabella, was on Tuesday anchored in the North Sea, offshore Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel, where DET’s FSRU-based...