BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A proposed sixth production train at Rio Grande LNG is under federal review as the developer seeks long-term authority to export additional liquefied natural gas from the Brownsville Ship Channel.
Rio Grande LNG Train 6 LLC asked the U.S. Department of Energy to authorize exports equivalent to as much as 312.05 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year to countries with and without U.S. free-trade agreements. The request would run through the later of Dec. 31, 2050, or 20 years after the first commercial export.
The expansion would include a sixth liquefaction train, a new marine jetty and related facilities next to the existing terminal. The company has asked for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval by March 2027, with construction beginning in July 2027 and commissioning and exports targeted for January 2030.
The Department of Energy listed the application in docket 26-67-LNG. On Aug. 25, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, Sierra Club and Border Workers United filed a motion to intervene and protest, raising environmental and community concerns.
The filing gives those groups a formal role in the proceeding but does not determine the outcome. Federal agencies must still evaluate the application and related environmental reviews before deciding whether to authorize the project.
