Baker Hughes was awarded a contract by engineering company Bechtel Energy Inc. (Bechtel) to supply primary liquefaction equipment for Train 5 of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG Facility in the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The award follows a recent order for Train 4 and is part of a previously established framework agreement covering a variety of Baker Hughes equipment and associated contractual services for Trains 4 through 8.
The Train 5 order includes two Frame 7 gas turbines and six centrifugal compressors. These solutions, designed to deliver efficiency and lower emissions, will support an additional LNG capacity of approximately 6 MTPA at the facility.
In addition, Baker Hughes is also providing an additional digital solution for Rio Grande’s Trains 1 to 3 through the deployment of Cordant Asset Health. Next Decade will utilize Cordant to support its equipment monitoring and failure diagnostics for critical rotating equipment, as well as its cloud-based visualization solution for offline vibration data.
The Project
NextDecade is constructing the first five liquefaction trains at Rio Grande LNG. The facility has approximately 48 MTPA of potential liquefaction capacity under construction or in development. Trains 6-8 are in development and beginning the permitting process. Sufficient space exists at the site for development of up to 10 liquefaction trains, making Rio Grande LNG potentially one of the largest LNG production and export facilities in the world.
Construction commenced on Trains 1-3 (Phase 1) at the Rio Grande LNG Facility in July 2023, on Train 4 in September 2025, and on Train 5 in October 2025. The combined scope of Phase 1, Train 4, and Train 5 includes five liquefaction trains with a total expected LNG production capacity of approximately 30 MTPA, four 180,000 cubic meter full containment LNG storage tanks, two jetty berthing structures designed to load LNG carriers up to 216,000 cubic meters in capacity, and associated site infrastructure and common facilities including feed gas pretreatment facilities, electric and water utilities, ground flares, roads, levees surrounding the entire site, and warehouses, administrative, operations control room and maintenance buildings.
As of September 2025, progress on Phase 1 is ahead of schedule, the company said. During the third quarter of 2025, the construction team continued piping fabrication, rebar installation, equipment setting and concrete placement, and structural steel erection in the areas of Trains 1, 2, and 3. Roof raises were completed for the first two LNG storage tanks. Across the site, Bechtel also continued installing concrete foundations, instrument air receivers, floodgates, permanent fencing, temporary facilities, and other siteworks. In September 2025, the first compressor string and turbine for Train 1 arrived onsite.
During September 2025, progress on Train 4 included advancement on engineering drawings, issuance of purchase orders for a range of equipment and materials, and commencement of area clearing.
