Freeport LNG’s Train 1 start-up delayed

Freeport LNG export facility located near Freeport, Texas, will see its first liquefaction train start up nine months later than initially projected. 

The start date has been pushed back to September 1, 2019, for the first liquefaction train, mainly due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey that saw equipment lay-yards flooded.

As Freeport LNG’s senior vice president, John Tobola was cited by Platts as saying, the other reason was the contractor execution delays, and the project is now analyzing the causes.

Since the start-up date of the first liquefaction train was delayed, the subsequent start-ups of trains two and three have also been pushed back to January 1, 2020, and May 1, 2020, respectively.

Initially, the three liquefaction trains of the Freeport liquefaction project currently under construction were scheduled to commence operations sequentially between fourth quarter in 2018 and third quarter in 2019.

Each liquefaction train will have a capacity in excess of 5 mtpa for a total production capacity of approximately 15 million tons per year (mtpa). The project is also developing a fourth liquefaction train with a nominal production of 5.1 mtpa.

About 13.4 mtpa of the production capacity from the first three liquefaction trains has been contracted under use-or-pay liquefaction tolling agreements with Osaka Gas, JERA, BP, Toshiba Corp. and SK E&S LNG.

LNG World News Staff