NextDecade files FERC application

NextDecade LLC has announced that it has filed an application with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorisation to site, construct and operate its Rio Grande LNG export facility.

The proposed LNG export terminal, with a capacity of 27 million tpy, would be located near Brownsville, Texas and the Rio Bravo Pipeline, a 137-mile pipeline system that will provide the facility with its feed gas.

NextDecade described the FERC application as a ‘significant milestone’ as it seeks to sign offtake agreements and declare Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2017.

Kathleen Eisbrenner, NextDecade Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “After a productive pre-filing with the FERC and extensive consultation and cooperation with the reviewing agencies and local communities, we are proud to have achieved this major accomplishment […] Despite recent low oil and gas prices, we have found robust appetite for US LNG on a long-term basis all around the world. This interest reaffirms the price competitiveness of US LNG for customers looking to diversify their gas supply on a global level.”

To date, NextDecade has signed non-binding agreements for 26 million tpy of LNG with customers across Asia and Europe.

The company said that it expects to receive FERC authorisation by the end of 1Q17, and hopes to export first LNG from Rio Grande LNG by the end of 2020.

Pending FERC approval and FID, the project is expected to create between 4000 and 6000 construction jobs, and more than 200 permanent jobs, reflecting a potential investment of up to US$20 billion.

NextDecade Senior Vice President of Development & Regulatory Affairs, Shaun Davison, added: “I want to thank the entire NextDecade team as well as our valued partners at CB&I, Ecology & Environment, Norton Rose Fulbright, HGA and CH-IV, to name just a few, for their monumental efforts to further advance the Rio Grande LNG project. In addition, we’d like to extend our appreciation to the people and communities of the Rio Grande Valley for their continued support and valuable insight, helping to make Rio Grande LNG a better project. Since well before our initial application was filed with the FERC in April 2015, we have been working tirelessly to develop an industry-leading project with the utmost care and attention to safety, respecting the people, preserving the environment and caring for the Rio Grande Valley’s way of life.”

Edited from press release by Callum O'Reilly

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquefaction/06052016/nextdecade-files-ferc-application-2400/