In late May, Cheniere awarded Bechtel the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the first phase of the Sabine Pass Liquefaction (SPL) Expansion. The company also issued Bechtel a limited notice to proceed (LNTP), allowing the contractor to begin early engineering and procurement activities at the Louisiana site.
Phase 1 of the SPL Expansion is expected to consist of one large-scale train, Train 7, and one boil-off gas reliquefaction unit, along with supporting infrastructure and tie-ins to the existing facility. It is expected to increase production capacity at the 30-million-tonne-per-annum (mtpa) LNG export terminal in Cameron Parish, La., by more than 20%, or more than 6 mtpa, by the early 2030s.
The SPL Expansion is being developed to include up to three large-scale trains with a total peak production capacity of up to approximately 20 mtpa. The first phase is commercially underpinned by long-term agreements with creditworthy counterparties, and a positive financial decision (FID) on Phase 1 is subject to, among other things, receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and an acceptable financing arrangement. Cheniere expects to FID Phase 1 by early 2027.
SPL is the first and largest LNG production and export complex in the U.S. Lower 48. It produced and shipped its first LNG cargo in 2016 and has since exported more than 3,300 cargoes to dozens of markets globally.