New Fortress Energy (NFE) has achieved first gas at its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) project offshore Altamira, Mexico.
This is according to a recent announcement by the New York City-based company which said the startup along with first cargo shipment marks the completion of the world’s fastest large-scale LNG project despite having crossed the milestone a year later than initially expected.
The initial plans for the 1.4-mtpa capacity facility were drawn up just over 3 years ago. NFE pioneered an approach that combines modular systems with three converted jackup rigs to accelerate deployment.
Each jackup hosts a different component of the process: liquefaction, gas treatment, and facility control with gas turbines for power generation. Product transfers to LNG carriers are done using cryogenic pumps located on the liquefaction jackup.
NFE’s $2-billion LNG facility sources its gas via the Sur de Texas Pipeline, which connects an onshore gas hub in Texas to natural gas-fired power plants in Mexico. The 2.6 Bcf/D pipeline, operated by TC Energy, was completed in 2019.
"We are immensely proud of the dedication and hard work by our team, who have completed more than 9 million work hours, to bring this large-scale project to life at a record pace. In doing so, our downstream customers now benefit from additional access to clean and reliable LNG, enabling sustained growth well into the future,” Chris Guinta, chief financial officer for NFE, said in a statement.
The US Department of Energy issued NFE an export license to Mexico and other countries as part of US free trade agreements.
NFE was granted a permit by Mexico’s Energy Ministry in 2023 to allow it to export up to 7.8 million metric tons of LNG through April 2028.
