Energy Department Approves Additional Time to Commence Exports of LNG from Energía Costa Azul

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today signed an amendment order granting additional time to commence exports of U.S.-sourced natural gas as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Sempra Energy's Energía Costa Azul (ECA) Mid-Scale Project that is currently under construction in Baja California, Mexico. Today's order grants ECA Liquefaction, S. de R.L. de C.V. approximately six additional months to commence exports of U.S.-sourced natural gas as LNG to non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries. Construction at the ECA Mid-Scale Project is nearly complete and ECA expects to commence exports in the near future.

The ECA Mid-Scale Project began construction in 2020 and, once completed and operational, will be able to export up to 0.44 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas as LNG. A second phase of the project is authorized to export up to 1.74 Bcf/d and is pending a final investment decision.

"I am pleased that the Department of Energy can take this action to provide this project the time it needs to complete construction and get U.S.-sourced LNG on the water, particularly given its strategic location on the West Coast of North America," said Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary of the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office.

Thanks to President Trump's leadership and American innovation, the United States is the world's largest natural gas producer and exporter. Since the President ended the previous administration's LNG export approval ban, the Department has approved more than 19 Bcf/d of LNG export authorizations. With recent final investment decisions, U.S. LNG exports are set to more than double from current levels by the early 2030s.

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