The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved an immediate increase in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG terminal in Louisiana, authorizing an additional 0.45 billion cu. ft. per day (Bcf/d) of exports to non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries.
The March 13 order raises the facility’s total authorized export capacity to 3.85 Bcf/d for both FTA and non-FTA markets. The increase represents a 13% boost in export volumes from the Plaquemines terminal, which began shipping LNG in December 2024.
“The U.S. is not only the largest producer and exporter of LNG but will more than double its LNG exports in the coming years,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
DOE officials said the additional export capacity is intended to support global energy supply as demand for U.S. LNG continues to grow, particularly among non-FTA countries, which account for the majority of U.S. LNG imports.
“Our mission to enable secure, reliable, and affordable energy has never been more important than now,” said Kyle Haustveit, assistant secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office. “I am pleased that DOE can take this action to be able to make an immediate difference to help add to global supplies of LNG.”
Since entering service, Plaquemines LNG has ramped up production to more than 3 Bcf/d. The new authorization allows the facility to immediately expand exports beyond that level without requiring additional phased approvals.
DOE noted that, following the lifting of a prior LNG export approval pause, the agency has authorized more than 18.6 Bcf/d in LNG export capacity.
