Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG plant in Louisiana get approval to raise exports

Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG has been granted authorization by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to increase exports by 13%, the Department of Energy announced on March 13.

The approval allows the plant located in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on the Mississippi River to ship abroad ton non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries an additional 0.45bn cubic feet (13mn cubic metres) per day.

In total, the Plaquemines LNG export terminal is now authorized to export 3.85bn cubic feet (110mn cubic metres) per day to both FTA and non-FTA countries.

The announcement comes as gas prices have skyrocketed following the conflict between Israel, the US, and Iran. With the Strait of Hormuz closed off by threats by Iran to attack vessels transiting through it, about 20% of the global LNG supply is off the market now.

Neither the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, which is the world’s second-largest LNG exporter are able to send cargoes to customers, with QatarEnergy already declaring force majeure on cargo deliveries earlier in May.

“At a time when Iran and its terrorist proxies attempt to disrupt the global energy supply, the Trump Administration remains committed to strengthening American energy dominance,” Secretary Wright said in a statement.

“Thanks to President Trump and American innovators, the U.S. is not only the largest producer and exporter of LNG but will more than double its LNG exports in the coming years. We will see meaningful additions to U.S. LNG export capacity at Plaquemines immediately and other facilities commencing operations in future weeks and months,” Wright added.

Plaquemines, which was Venture Global’s second facility to come online after Calcasieu Pass in 2022, began producing super-chilled fuel in December 2024.

In February 2025, the plant was granted permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to increase its nameplate capacity from 24mn tonnes per year (tpy) to 27.2mn tpy.

One month later, the Arlington, Virginia-headquartered company announced it would invest $18bn to expand its nameplate capacity to 45mn tpy, with a formal application sent to FERC in November.