Freeport LNG granted approval to begin certain pre-restart operations

Freeport LNG Development LP has been granted approval by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin certain operations to advance restart of the 15-million tonne/year liquefaction plant on Quintana Island, Tex. The plant has been idle since a fire shuttered operations in June 2022 (OGJ Online, June 9, 2022).

The operator filed a request to the regulatory authority Jan. 22 (OGJ Online, Jan. 23, 2023). In its letter, Freeport requested authorization to begin cool down of its Loop 1 transfer piping and reinstate its boil off gas management compressors and associated piping as its initial step to resuming normal operations at the plant. Approval for the specific actions has been granted. 

The process is expected to take 11 days and terminal operators must submit additional requests for subsequent operations to restart service of Freeport's three liquefaction trains, which will only be granted, FERC said, “following the review of filed responses, a determination that the facilities are fit for service, and documentation that acceptable measures have been put into place to safely return the facilities to operation.”