NextDecade scraps bid to build carbon capture project at Rio Grande LNG
NextDecade Corp. withdrew its application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build a carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit at its 27-million tonne/year (tpy) Rio Grande LNG (RGLNG) plant under construction in Cameron County, Tex., along the Brownsville Ship Channel, the company said Aug. 21.
The company also requested the FERC terminate the CCS proceeding.
“We appreciate the FERC’s diligence during the review process,” NextDecade chairman and chief executive officer Matt Schatzman said. “The CCS project at RGLNG is not sufficiently developed to allow FERC review to continue at this time.”
NextDecade proposed the CCS project in 2021 to reduce permitted CO2 emissions at Rio Grande by more than 90%.
This month, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated the company’s FERC permit to move forward with the LNG plant, saying that FERC failed to issue a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement during its remand process (OGJ Online, Aug. 6, 2024).
As of now, construction continues on the first three liquefaction trains and related infrastructure (Phase 1) at the plant. NextDecade is evaluating the impact of the court’s decision on the timing of a positive final investment decision (FID) on Train 4. The company had been anticipating positive FID in this year's second half.
Cathy Landry | Washington Correspondent
Cathy Landry has worked over 20 years as a journalist, including 17 years as an energy reporter with Platts News Service (now S&P Global) in Washington and London.
She has served as a wire-service reporter, general news and sports reporter for local newspapers and a feature writer for association and company publications.
Cathy has deep public policy experience, having worked 15 years in Washington energy circles.
She earned a master’s degree in government from The Johns Hopkins University and studied newspaper journalism and psychology at Syracuse University.
