Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG plant authorized to increase exports by 22%

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) subsidiary Southern LNG Co. LLC received US Energy Department authorization to export additional LNG to non-free trade agreement countries from its Elba Island LNG plant near Savannah, Ga.

The company is now authorized to export up to an additional 28.25 billion cu ft/year (bcfy) of natural gas as LNG, up from the prior authorization of 130 billion bcfy.

The 2.5-million tonnes/year (tpy) liquefaction plant (about 350 MMcfd of natural gas), has been exporting LNG from Chatham County since 2019 and is “positioned to export the additional approved volumes immediately,” DOE said in a release Apr. 2.

Elba is directly connected to Southern LNG, which provides LNG storage, vaporization, and ship loading services.

The export authorization action comes as global oil and LNG supply routes face disruption from the Iran war, DOE said.

“At a time when global energy supply routes face disruption, the United States remains a reliable energy partner to our allies and trading partners,” said DOE Assistant Secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office, Kyle Haustveit.