U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) urged FERC to hasten its approval of the proposed Magnolia LNG export terminal, which would be sited along the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Lake Charles, LA.

Vitter said that with authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Magnolia could reach financial closing, begin construction and be in service as early as 2018 [CP14-347].

“The Magnolia LNG Project is now nearly 24 months into the FERC process,” Vitter told the Commission. “Magnolia LNG commenced the FERC process on March 20, 2013 as it began to complete the mandatory prefiling process.”

Vitter wrote that he is worried that the window is closing on the viability of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects. He urged that any remaining data requests and the notice of schedule for environmental review be issued by the end of March and called for a decision on Magnolia by the end of the year.

“The window of opportunity for the United States to become a significant contributor to the global LNG market is closing quickly,” the Republican senator said.

Magnolia is a project of LNG Ltd., which also is planning an export terminal in Nova Scotia (see Daily GPI, Nov. 3, 2014; March 7, 2014). The Magnolia terminal is expected to include four trains, two LNG storage tanks each with a capacity of 160,000 cubic meters, and vessel loading facilities. Each of the trains is to be capable of producing up to 2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for a total capacity of 8 mtpa. Magnolia has struck a tolling agreement for the project with AES Latin American Development Ltd., a unit of AES Corp. Group.