Cheniere Energy, the largest liquefied natural gas exporter in the U.S., has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to expand its Sabine Pass plant, according to a FERC document.
Cheniere filed a joint application, dated June 6, to FERC for authorization to construct and operate the Sabine Pass Stage 5 Expansion Project, which would grow the existing Sabine Pass LNG facility in Louisiana.
The Sabine Pass terminal, with an annual capacity of 30 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), is the largest LNG terminal in the U.S. with six liquefaction trains in service.
The proposed expansion will include an addition of three natural gas liquefaction trains, each with a maximum LNG production capacity of about 300 billion cubic feet per year, the FERC document showed.
Cheniere Chief Executive Officer Jack Fusco said in February that the company plans to aggressively pursue new regulatory permits to expand capacity now that U.S. President Donald Trump is in office.
On Trump’s first day in office, he declared an energy emergency and restarted approvals for LNG export permits to countries without a free trade agreement with the U.S.
(Reporting by Noel John in Bengaluru Editing by Bill Berkrot)