Commonwealth LNG Liquefaction and Export Terminal Gains DOE Approval
The ever-expanding U.S. Gulf Coast liquified natural gas (LNG) infrastructure is getting a future boost of another 1.2 billion cubic feet per day through federal approval of export capacity for a new project under development along the Louisiana coast.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) gave its final authorization for Commonwealth LNG to export from its planned liquefaction terminal in Cameron Parish. LNG terminals along the Gulf of Mexico coastline receive U.S. natural gas production, then chill it to liquify and make it stable for shipping to off-takers globally.
“Finalizing this authorization moves us closer to delivering more American LNG to the world, advancing President Trump’s energy dominance agenda,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “As DOE found earlier this year and affirms again in this order, expanding America’s LNG export capacity bolsters our economy, strengthens the energy security of our allies and trading partners and ensures the U.S. can continue to lead the world in the production of affordable, reliable and secure energy.”
The U.S. is currently the world’s largest exporter of LNG at close to 14 billion cubic feet per day from multiple terminals and more to come. Last month, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission re-issued its final order authorizing construction of the Texas LNG export terminal project. An affiliate of energy infrastructure developer Glenfarne is planning the Texas LNG site which is expected to be completed by 2029.
The Commonwealth LNG approval authorizes up to 1.21 billion cubic feet of LNG to non-free trade agreement customers.
The action follows DOE’s conditional authorization to Commonwealth LNG in February 2025 and reflects the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) June approval for the siting, construction, and operation of the facility.
Commonwealth LNG, owned by energy infrastructure investor and manager Kimmeridge, has secured long-term off-take agreements for future LNG with Malaysia’s PETRONAS, global energy commodities trading entity Glencore LTD, and Japan’s JERA.
Technip Energies was contracted to handle engineering, procurement, and construction on the project. Commonwealth LNG,through Technip Energies, is ordering six Baker Hughes refrigerant turbo compressors as part of the liquefaction infrastructure. The refrigerant compressors will be powered by Baker Hughes LM9000 gas turbines.
Planners for Commonwealth LNG hope to make their final investment decision and start construction later this year. The terminal is expected to be completed and operational by 2029.
The Trump Administration has announced that LNG production and export expansion is going to be a priority over renewable energy technologies for the next several years.
About the Author
Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor
Managing Editor
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Rod Walton has spent 17 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.
Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World.
EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023
Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.