The US Department of Energy (DOE) has given authorization to Eagle LNG Partners’ Jacksonville LNG facility in Florida to export up to 140 million cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas to countries that are not involved in free trade agreements (FTA) with the US.

Eagle LNG Partners, which is based in Texas, is owned by Ferus Natural Gas Fuels. The company is constructing the Jacksonville LNG Export Facility with an investment of $500 million along the St.Johns River in Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville LNG facility, which received authorization from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last month, will produce around 1.65 million gallons per day of LNG and will have 12 million gallons of LNG storage capacity The LNG export project in Florida will also be equipped with onsite marine- and truck loading capabilities.

According to the DOE, the Jacksonville LNG Export Facility will be exporting small-scale quantities of LNG and will also be serving the domestic market and offer LNG as a shipping fuel.

Eagle LNG Jacksonville LNG facility. Photo courtesy of Eagle LNG.

Rick Perry – US Secretary of Energy, commenting on the DOE authorization to exports from Jacksonville LNG facility, said: “I am excited to see a company like Eagle LNG developing new and innovative ways to use U.S. LNG. And I am pleased that the Department of Energy was able to efficiently approve Eagle LNG’s export application after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Project, allowing Eagle LNG to bring their innovative LNG solutions to the market as quickly as possible.”

Scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2021, the Jacksonville LNG facility will be equipped with three LNG trains. Each of the trains will be able to produce 0.33 million (metric) tonnes of LNG annually.

As per the order, the Jacksonville LNG Export Facility is authorized to export the LNG produced by it using an ocean-going vessel or by ISO container to any nation with which the US does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) in place that needs national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not banned by US law or policy.

Steven Winberg – Assistant Secretary for DOE Fossil Energy, commenting on the DOE authorization to exports from Jacksonville LNG facility, said: “The small scale LNG market is an increasingly important energy supply option for our neighbors, and Eagle LNG has been an industry leader in this growing segment of the market. This action furthers the administration’s commitment to promoting American energy production which is critical to American workers and the American economy.”

Apart from the authorization to the Jacksonville LNG facility, the DOE has approved 34.66 Bcf/d of exports of LNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) to non-FTA nations requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and with which trade is not banned by US law or policy. Currently, nearly15 Bcf/d of the capacity is in various stages of operation and construction, said the DOE.

The department said that the US is currently producing more than 91 Bcf/d of natural gas and its LNG exports have recently crossed 5 Bcf/d. The DOE said that the exports of LNG and CNG will not only improve energy security worldwide but also help in the growth of the American economy and in creating more jobs.

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