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Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction plant now has three operational trains with each having a capacity of about 5 mtpa.
In June 2022, Cheniere took a final investment decision on the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project worth about $8 billion and compatriot Bechtel officially started construction on the project in October the same year.
The project includes building seven midscale trains, each with an expected liquefaction capacity of about 1.49 mtpa.
Cheniere’s unit Corpus Christi Liquefaction said in the July construction report filed with the US FERC on Tuesday that overall project completion for the Stage 3 project is 4 percent.
The project was 62.4 percent complete as of the end of June.
Stage 3 engineering and procurement are 94.5 percent and 81.4 percent complete, respectively, while subcontract and direct hire construction work are 85.6 percent and 26.7 percent complete, respectively.
During the month of July, key work fronts included concrete pours in trains 2 – 6 and outside boundary limits (OSBL), structural steel erection in trains 2 – 4 and OSBL, underground piping installation in Trains 4 – 7 and OSBL, and equipment setting in trains 1 – 5.
Additional continued work includes road improvements, drainage work, and mobilization of temporary facilities, equipment, and personnel, CCL said.
Moreover, Bechtel continued continued installation of pipe spools and testing of aboveground piping at the first train.
During August, Bechtel will continue this work at the first train as well as place fire and gas devices.
First LNG production in 2024
Cheniere initially said that LNG deliveries from the expansion project were expected to begin in 2025 with full production in 2027.
However, Cheniere’s CEO Jack Fusco said in August last year that the company is expecting to complete the expansion phase ahead of schedule.
The company confirmed in its second quarter report that it expects to achieve first LNG production from the first train at the end of 2024.
Also, the company said it expects first gas into the first train 1 in about 2 months.
Substantial completion of the project is expected during 1H 2025 – 2H 2026.
CCL recently sought approval from FERC to place in service the terminal supply line facilities as part of the Stage 3 project.
The company also requests authorization from FERC to introduce hydrocarbons to commission the Stage 3 train 1 fuel gas and hot oil systems at the earliest date possible, but no later than September 13, 2024, according to a separate filling.
Besides this expansion, Cheniere plans to build two more liquefaction trains as part of the third expansion phase at the Corpus Christi plant.
Cheniere aims to to take a final investment decision on this project in 2025.
In addition, Cheniere also aims to build two new liquefaction trains as part of the Sabine Pass Stage 5 expansion project to add up to 20 mtpa of capacity to the giant 30 mtpa facility.