Commonwealth LNG has received its final non-free trade agreement (non-FTA) export authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its 9.5 MMtpa liquefied natural gas facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
This final authorization marks a significant regulatory achievement for Commonwealth LNG, following the DOE’s earlier conditional approval and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) most recent issuance of a final order upholding Commonwealth’s approval to construct the export facility. With these key milestones secured, Commonwealth is advancing toward a final investment decision (FID) later in 2025, with first LNG production expected in 2029.
Commonwealth’s Phase 1 development is expected to bring an investment of more than $11 billion to Louisiana and generate an estimated $3.5 billion in annual export revenue following completion. The project is expected to employ approximately 2,000 workers at the peak of construction and provide approximately 275 high-paying jobs when the facility begins operations in late 2029.
The approval also builds on Commonwealth’s momentum with global energy purchasers, including long-term, binding offtake agreements with Glencore, JERA and PETRONAS for a total of 4 MMtpa and line of sight to subscribe its remaining capacity. In early August, Commonwealth announced it has contracted Technip Energies to provide engineering, procurement and construction services to build its state-of-the-art facility.
“We are grateful to the Department of Energy for its thorough review and final authorization. With all major regulatory milestones complete, Commonwealth looks forward to Final Investment Decision in Q4 2025,” said Farhad Ahrabi, CEO of Commonwealth.
