US LNG project developer NextDecade has filed an application with the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for authorization to site, construct and operate Rio Grande LNG project, a proposed 27 Mt/year gas liquefaction project in Brownsville, Texas (United States), and a related 220 km long gas pipeline to supply the plant.
The company aims to develop up to 6 liquefaction trains with a nominal capacity of 4.5 Mt/year along the Brownsville Shipping Channel. The first phase of the project is estimated at US$8bn. NextDecade plans to make a final investment decision after having received full authorisation by the FERC in early 2017. Upon the authorisation of the FERC, construction is expected to start in 2017 and the first two trains (9 Mt/year) could start to produce LNG in 2020.
So far, NextDecade has signed Heads of Agreements (HOAs) for the sale of a total of 14 Mt/year of LNG. LNG will be sold to customers from Asia and Europe.