Sempra approves $12bn Port Arthur LNG expansion
The new phase will increase liquefaction and storage capacity at the planned facility
When both phases of the project are complete, Port Arthur will be one of the biggest LNG export terminals in the US
US ENERGY company Sempra has made a final investment decision on the second phase of the Port Arthur liquified natural gas project, which will see an additional 13m tonnes per annum of capacity added to the site when the second phase is completed at the beginning of the next decade.
The investment, worth more than $12bn, will build a two liquefaction trains and an LNG storage tank.
Phase one of the project is underway. Liquefaction trains, storage tanks as well as a berth for LNG carriers are expected to be completed in 2027 and 2028. This phase too will boast a capacity of 13m tonnes per annum.
When both phases are completed, Port Arthur will rank among the top LNG export terminals in the US, just behind nearby Sabine Pass.
US LNG exports have been climbing steadily over the past few years and are expected to continue rising into the next decade, as projects such as Port Arthur come onstream.
Offtake agreements for phase two of the project have already been agreed for 20 years, with deals with ConocoPhillips, EQT and JERA already in place.
Sempra also announced it had sold its 45% stake in Sempra Infrastructure, a separate entity more involved in the construction of energy projects, to global investment firm KKR.
The deal is worth $10bn and is expected to close midway through next year.
