Gulfstream LNG gains FERC approval to begin prefiling process

Gulfstream LNG Development LLC, an onshore greenfield LNG export project under development in Plaquemines Parish, La., received US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval to begin the pre-filing permitting process.

The approval kicks off the regulatory review for Gulstream’s proposed 4 million tonnes/year (tpy) modular export plant (OGJ Online, Feb. 22, 2023).

The approval is an important step in the permitting process and follows on the receipt of the Department of Energy (DOE) export permit for Free Trade Area nations, and recent submission of the Preliminary Waterway Suitability Assessment to the US Coast Guard, said Vivek Chandra, chief executive officer and founder.

While the Biden administration’s pause in the review of DOE non-FTA permits does not directly impact Gulfstream LNG because of its stage in the FERC process, said Dr. Chandra, “ we encourage the US government to complete their evaluation as soon as possible. Export permit delays add uncertainty to project development, impact the global energy transition, and encourage the continued usage of coal and other dirty fuels.”

LNG project progress

Gulfstream LNG recently closed of its initial seed funding round and a move to a nearby downstream site on the same side of the Mississippi River as its previously announced location.

The upgraded 418-acre site, with over 3 km of deepwater (15+ m) Mississippi River frontage, is secured under a long-term 50+ year lease agreement with a private landowner. The site is traversed by a 26-in. natural gas pipeline that will supply, per an executed agreement with the pipeline operator, the full volume of feed gas required for the operation of the Gulfstream LNG plant at its nameplate capacity.  

Over the past year, Gulfstream LNG has selected technical partners. Baker Hughes was selected as liquefaction equipment provider, Honeywell UOP will provide gas treatment technology, GTT will provide the LNG tank technology and containment system, and Kiewit Energy Group Inc. will provide engineering, procurement, and construction support. 

The plant is expected to include two gas processing trains, three electric-drive liquefaction trains each with an average base LNG production capacity of about 1.4 million tpy, one 200,000 cu m LNG storage tank and tank protection system, two marine loading berths (one capable of receiving smaller barges and vessels, and one for servicing larger ocean-going LNG carriers), and an on-site gas-fired power generation plant.

Gulfstream LNG is also evaluating various CO₂ capture, use and storage options.