Venture Global LNG Inc. has shared plans with regulators for a third natural gas export terminal, signaling its intent to add up to 24 million metric tons per year (mmty) of capacity at a proposed site in Plaquemines Parish, LA.

In a letter to FERC last week regarding the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, Venture Global asked to initiate the pre-filing process for a federal environmental review of the proposed Delta LNG project, which would consist of a liquefaction facility with 20 mmty nameplate capacity and 24 mmty peak capacity, as well as the Delta Express Pipeline to feed supply to the facility.

Delta Express would entail building two parallel 42-inch diameter pipelines spanning 287 miles from the liquefaction facility to interconnects with existing pipelines near the Perryville hub in Louisiana. The pipeline would cross 17 parishes in Louisiana and two counties in Mississippi.

Delta LNG would be backed by subsidiaries Venture Global Delta LNG LLC and Venture Global Delta Express LLC.

“The Delta LNG liquefaction facility will include 18 LNG blocks, each with a nameplate capacity of 1.1 mmty, four 200,000 cubic meter full containment LNG storage tanks, three marine loading berths for ocean-going vessels, and on-site power generation,” Venture told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“Delta LNG will construct the project in two phases, with Phase 1 to include nine LNG blocks, two tanks, a 720 MW power plant, ancillary facilities to support this equipment, marine berths and one pipeline. The remaining facilities will be constructed in Phase 2.”

Delta LNG is targeting first deliveries by December 2023, with full start up of Phase 1 operations by November 2024.

The Arlington, VA-based Venture Global, currently developing the Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines LNG terminals, in March announced that because of customer demand it would expand its process equipment supply agreement with Baker Hughes, a GE Company to accommodate up to 60 mmty of production at its LNG facilities. Also last month, FERC granted Venture’s request to begin full site preparation for Calcasieu Pass.

Having secured 20-year agreements with Royal Dutch Shell plc, BP plc, Edison SpA, Portugal’s Galp, Repsol SA and Poland utility PGNiG, Venture expects the 10 mmty Calcasieu Pass to begin delivering Lower 48 gas to the global market in 2022. The project, planned for a 930-acre site in Cameron Parish, LA, secured FERC approval in February.

Venture Global has said it expects the 20 mmty Plaquemines LNG to receive its final FERC authorization in August and begin construction later this year.

The latest proposed U.S. LNG expansion comes as FERC — at risk of deadlock at four commissioners — last week issued approvals for the Driftwood LNG and Port Arthur LNG projects.

Commissioners Cheryl LaFleur and Richard Glick, FERC’s two sitting Democrats, have raised concerns about the agency’s handling of climate change impacts in its natural gas project reviews, an issue that has threatened to jeopardize permitting in some cases.

“It’s not lost on me that people consider me the swing vote that’s allowing these LNG projects to be authorized,” LaFleur said during last week’s meeting. “…At a time when the courts have spoken, and keep speaking, in cases around the country on the requirements of considering climate change in project cases, I don’t understand why we do not act proactively together to work to address the issues in our cases. I think we’re just waiting for the courts to impose requirements on us that could add unnecessary complexities and legal risks to these very big projects.”

FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee, meanwhile, has expressed support for streamlining the agency’s review process for LNG expansions.