Venture Global LNG Inc. has been granted authorization by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to place Blocks 7-9 of its 10-million tonne/year (tpy) Calcasieu Pass LNG plant in service, using a modified commissioning plan that will allow individual systems or equipment to be placed in service as ready (OGJ Online, Oct. 12, 2023).
Venture Global’s previously authorized commissioning and in-service plan included three phases: Phase 1 included Blocks 1-4, Phase 2 Blocks 5-6, and Phase 3 the remainder of the plant, including liquefaction Blocks 7-9, both 200,000-cu m LNG storage tanks, both marine transfer systems, all pretreatment systems, and power generation. FERC said, however, that commissioning demonstration tests and commissioning operations over the last several months have shown that liquefaction equipment can operate above authorized nameplate capacity and near authorized maximum capacity, despite reliability issues associated with the heat-recovery steam generator tube leaks and with other individual units or pieces of equipment that may not be meeting commissioning demonstration tests or have failed to operate reliably after such tests.
The commission therefore agreed with a modified commissioning plan that no longer bundles Phase 3 when individual systems or equipment can be demonstrated to operate safely and reliably on their own. The plant, sited in Cameron Parish, La., uses 18 modular liquefaction trains configured in nine two-train blocks.
Contract customers including Shell PLC, bp PLC, Repsol SA, and Edison SPA welcomed the FERC ruling, suggesting that it clears the way for them to begin loading cargoes. The companies are in arbitration with Venture Global seeking either the ability to begin loading or monetary compensation. Calcasieu Pass has loaded numerous “pre-commissioning cargoes” since it began operations in early 2022 but has yet to supply its foundational contract customers.
