Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion receives FERC approval

The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has given approval to Cheniere Energy for the construction and operation of the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project.

Covering an area of approximately 1,000 acres, the Corpus Christi site is located on the La Quinta Channel, north-east of Corpus Christi Bay in San Patricio County, Texas, US.

The Stage 3 expansion project is being developed to add up to seven small liquefaction trains to boost the total expected nominal production capacity to approximately ten million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG.

The Corpus Christi Stage 3 site is adjacent to the three liquefaction trains open or under development at Corpus Christi.

The total nominal production capacity of the two projects is expected to be approximately 25Mtpa.

Cheniere Energy president and CEO Jack Fusco said: “We are pleased to receive regulatory approval from the FERC for Corpus Christi Stage 3, a critical milestone on the path to a positive final investment decision.

“Our continued progress on Corpus Christi Stage 3, including today’s regulatory approval and our continued commercial success, is a testament to the global competitiveness of the project and reinforces our confidence in our ability to expand our world-scale liquefaction platform in Corpus Christi.”

According to the company, it is expected to make a positive final investment decision (FID) on Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion next year.

The FID is subject to signing an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract and receiving commercial support for the project.

It is also conditional upon securing the necessary financing arrangements.

Cheniere’s liquefaction platform consists of the Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi liquefaction facilities on the US Gulf Coast.