Chart Industries Inc. CEO Jill Evanko expressed optimism on Thursday that up to four large U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects could be sanctioned early next year following a flurry of activity in the past two months.

Evanko said she was “very bullish on one to four U.S. Gulf Coast export projects that already have FERC approval moving ahead” to a final investment decision (FID) in the first half of 2022, she said during the Atlanta-based equipment manufacturer’s 2Q2021 earnings call. “There was considerable 2Q2021 activity announced in this space, and there also has generally been more market and government acceptance of LNG in recent months, a far different attitude than was in 2020.”

The projects in question are Tellurian Inc.’s Driftwood LNG project...