Trunkline LNG Co. LLC and Trunkline LNG Export LLC Wednesday filed at FERC for their planned Lake Charles, LA, liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project.

Trunkline LNG Export plans to site liquefaction and export facilities next to the existing Trunkline LNG import terminal. The project is to include three liquefaction trains with total design capacity of 16.45 million metric tons per annum (mmtpa) and use the existing LNG storage and marine berthing facilities owned by Trunkline LNG Co.

The Trunkline companies are units of Energy Transfer Equity LP and Energy Transfer Partners LP (collectively, Energy Transfer). Energy Transfer has secured all property rights required for the site. The liquefaction project would make the terminal bi-directional, with the ability to receive and regasify LNG, and liquefy domestic gas for export.

Energy Transfer would own and finance the facility, and BG Group is to be responsible for the offtake. BG would also select the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, and manage construction. Upon completion, BG would operate the facility under a long-term agreement with Energy Transfer while Trunkline Gas Co. would provide pipeline transportation services to supply gas to the facility.

Last August the U.S. Department of Energy conditionally granted authorization to export up to 2 Bcf/d (or about 15 mmtpa) of LNG from the existing Trunkline LNG import terminal to non-free trade agreement nations (see Daily GPI, Aug. 8, 2013).

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filing represents the culmination of front-end engineering design work and pre-filing consultations with the Commission and other federal, state and local agencies. Pending final investment decisions and receiving all necessary approvals, expected in 2015, construction would begin, with first LNG exports anticipated in the second quarter of 2019.

According to FERC data as of Feb. 21, 13 export terminals have been proposed at the Commission, including Trunkline.

In a separate filing at FERC, also Wednesday, Trunkline Gas Co. sought authorization for its related pipeline modification project to meet demand for additional transportation capacity to deliver gas “to certain liquefaction facilities being constructed in the Louisiana Gulf Coast area.”

The modification project includes 11.44 miles of new pipeline, 6.45 miles of new pipeline loop, 119,075 hp of additional compression at one new compressor station and one existing station, various new meter stations and other facilities.