US Coast Guard approves Rio Grande LNG WSA

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved the Rio Grande LNG project’s waterway sustainability assessment (WSA) declaring the project suitable for LNG marine traffic. 

The project was declared suitable for accommodating the type and the frequency of LNG marine traffic, the USCG filing says.

This recommendation is provided to assist in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s determination of whether the proposed facility should be authorized.

The review also notes that the Space X Speceport’s launch site, which is 5 miles away from the proposed LNG facility, could co-exist, as the risk of public impact from a projectile in the 10,000 to 100,000 ft-lb range would be just inside the tolerable region.

NextDecade, a company focused on LNG exports, developing the project said in November it could reach a final investment decision for as few as two trains with a 9 mtpa production capacity.

At full build-out, the facility in the Port of Brownsville would have the capacity to produce 27 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year out of 6 production trains.

The project is currently going through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process, with NextDecade expecting to receive a notice of schedule in the near future. A final authorization is expected in the second half of 2018.

LNG World News Staff