Thanks to the addition of new LNG export terminals in Canada and Mexico together with the expansion of existing LNG capacity in the United States, North America’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity is poised to more than double by the end of 2027, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Ten projects across the three countries are seen contributing to the expansion of LNG export capacity to 24.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) by the end of 2027, up from 11.4 billion (Bcf/d) currently.
Canada has two LNG export projects under construction in British Columbia. LNG Canada in Kitimat, with an export capacity of 1.8 Bcf/d, is expected to begin service in 2025, while Woodfibre LNG, with an export capacity of 0.3 Bcf/d, is scheduled for 2027. Also 18 more LNG export projects have been authorized in Canada, with a combined capacity of 29 Bcf/d.
In the United States alone, five LNG export projects are presently under construction, accounting for a combined capacity of 9.7 Bcf/d. These projects include Golden Pass, Plaquemines, Corpus Christi Stage III, Rio Grande, and Port Arthur, with the first exports expected in 2024.
Mexico is also making progress in LNG exports, with three projects currently under construction. Fast LNG Altamira offshore and onshore, as well as Fast LNG Lakach, are set to contribute a combined capacity of 1.1 Bcf/d. The Altamira project consists of three units, with the first unit planned for offshore and the other two to be installed onshore at the Altamira LNG regasification terminal. Fast LNG Lakach will be installed offshore of Veracruz, Mexico. The Energia Costa Azul LNG terminal in Baja California is also undergoing construction, with a Phase 1 capacity of 0.4 Bcf/d and a proposed Phase 2 capacity of 1.6 Bcf/d.
(Photo of LNG Canada in Kitimat, British Columbia)
