Cameron LNG has submitted an amended application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its Cameron Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Expansion project. In 2016, Cameron LNG received FERC approval to site, construct, and operate facilities to provide additional natural gas processing, storage, and liquefaction capability at its existing Cameron LNG terminal located in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana. This authorized Cameron LNG to construct and operate two additional liquefaction trains (Trains 4 and 5) that would increase the Cameron LNG Terminal’s maximum natural gas liquefaction and export capabilities by 9.97 MTPA, to 24.9 MTPA. Cameron LNG is now proposing to implement several final design enhancements with the purpose of reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions from Train 4 and enhancing the overall efficiency of the expansion project.
The design enhancements for Train 4 will include the use of electric drive motors to replace the current Frame 7 gas turbine drives, as well as tie-ins to allow optionality of carbon sequestration of the acid gas from Train 4. The revised system will replace the gas turbines and helper motor with three E-Drive motors, resulting in significant reductions to greenhouse gas emissions. The electric motor drives are limited to 75 MW for the project to remain within a proven size range. This results in a change from two gas turbine-driven compressor strings to three electric motor-driven compressor strings. One string includes the propane compressor casing, the second string drives the low-pressure mixed refrigerant compressor, and the third string drives the medium- and high-pressure mixed refrigerant compressors. The liquefaction system process flow path remains the same as the gas turbine drive design.
If FERC approves the Train 4 amendments, Cameron LNG would not seek to construct Train 5 and the fifth LNG tank (T-205) at this time. With the expanded capacity from Train 4, the amended expansion project will have a production capacity of up to 6.75 MTPA of LNG for export. Further, the removal of Train 5 will reduce to the Cameron LNG Terminal’s overall production capacity from approximately 24.9 MTPA to 21.7 MTPA.
Cameron LNG is also proposing a pre-investment tie-in on the acid gas inlet stream of the oxidizer on Train 4. The proposed tie-in will provide for the future capability to interconnect with facilities that will process, transport, and inject the carbon dioxide stream into underground carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facilities that could be constructed in the Gulf Coast region, thus possibly allowing for further reductions in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions that may be emitted into the atmosphere.
