The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission suspended its scheduled environmental review of a planned natural gas terminal in Louisiana because the project developer hasn’t provided enough information to move forward, according to a notice issued yesterday.
Venture Global LNG Inc. is planning to complete its CP2 LNG export terminal in Cameron Parish, La., by 2025 using carbon capture technologies to reduce the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions. But FERC has not received “substantive responses” from the company on key environmental issues to allow it to issue an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project, according to the agency.
FERC’s move likely sets back the timeline of the project, although it’s unclear by how much. FERC had initially intended to issue a draft EIS this month and a final review next February, after which point the commission could opt to approve or deny the project. “Because there are still a number of outstanding responses to staff’s environmental and engineering data requests, FERC staff are no longer able to complete the draft EIS as scheduled,” the agency said in the notice.
Venture Global announced plans last December to invest more than $10 billion on the facility, which would capture 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
In addition to the CP2 LNG terminal, the environmental review schedule for the company’s proposed 85-mile natural gas pipeline, which would provide natural gas to the point of export, has also been suspended.
Venture Global applied for a permit in December from the agency, which oversees large natural gas infrastructure. Once completed, the gas export terminal would be capable of exporting 20 million metric tons of LNG per year, according to the company.
