Venture Global says new LNG environmental review unnecessary

By Curtis Williams and Timothy Gardner

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Venture Global LNG on Wednesday slammed a U.S. call for an additional environmental review of a proposed Louisiana LNG project as unnecessary, adding that it will be ready to begin construction once the project gets a final go-ahead.

The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) last week pulled Venture Global LNG's authorization to construct its CP2 export facility, requiring an additional environmental review of air quality impact.

The additional review follows a decision on Aug 6 from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that quashed FERC's approval of NextDecade's plant at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, and ordered FERC to reconsider the project ramifications with a new environmental statement and public comment period.

CP2 has been at the center of a fight with environmentalists seeking to limit future LNG projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The 20 million ton per annum facility won FERC construction approval in June.

Venture Global did not say if the decision would delay construction nor if it had already begun site work.

Engineering and construction giant Worley won a contract last year to build the first phase of CP2. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"CP2 LNG unquestionably meets or exceeds all required environmental air standards as determined by FERC in its July 2024 order and will be formally replying to the commission in the coming days," a Venture Global spokesperson said.

FERC also put on hold its approval for the construction of Commonwealth LNG's planned 9.5 Mtpa LNG export facility in Cameron, Louisiana. Commonwealth said it remained confident in its project and will be providing all requested input for the supplemental environmental impact statement.

(Reporting by Curtis Williams in Houston and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter)