Rio Grande LNG Wins FERC Extension to Complete Texas Export Terminal

FERC has extended the construction deadline for the Rio Grande LNG export terminal in Texas to 2031 after developers cited litigation and financing delays affecting project timelines.

(P&GJ) — The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has granted Rio Grande LNG an additional three years to complete construction of its LNG export terminal in Brownsville, Texas, extending the project’s deadline to Nov. 22, 2031.

According to a FERC filing issued May 26, the project developers requested the extension after citing delays tied to litigation and regulatory remand proceedings that affected financing and construction schedules. The filing states that “construction is well underway for all five trains” at the terminal.

Rio Grande LNG previously received authorization in 2019 to build the Cameron County export facility. FERC had already extended the original construction deadline once, moving it from 2026 to 2028 before approving the latest request.

The developers told FERC they expect Trains 1 through 3 to be completed in the first quarter of 2029, while Trains 4 and 5 are projected to enter service by the second quarter of 2031. In the filing, the companies said they had encountered “unforeseen circumstances” that affected “timely financing and construction progress at the Terminal.”

FERC said no comments, protests or interventions were filed in response to the extension request. The commission approved the request through delegated authority under its Office of Energy Projects.