The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has suspended its scheduled environmental review of a planned natural gas terminal in Louisiana because the project developer failed to provide enough information to proceed, according to a notice issued yesterday.
Venture Global LNG Inc. plans to complete its CP2 LNG export terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana by 2025 using carbon capture technologies to reduce the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions . But FERC has not received “substantial responses” from the company on key environmental issues to enable it to issue an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project, according to the agency.
FERC’s decision likely delays the project’s schedule, although it’s unclear by how much. FERC had originally planned to release a draft EIS this month and a final review next February, after which the commission could choose to approve or deny the project. “Because there are still a number of outstanding responses to staff’s environmental and technical data requests, FERC staff is no longer able to complete the EIS project as planned,” the report said. agency in the notice.

Venture Global last December announced plans to invest more than $10 billion in the facility, which would capture 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

In addition to the CP2 LNG terminal, the environmental review schedule for the company’s proposed 85-mile pipeline, which would deliver natural gas to the point of export, has also been put on hold.

Venture Global applied for a permit in December with the agency, which oversees large natural gas infrastructure. When completed, the gas export terminal would be capable of exporting 20 million metric tons of LNG per year, according to the company.
Source: IEEFA