Page 5 - GLNG Week 41 2021
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GLNG                                         COMMENTARY                                               GLNG








































                         … but the amount of investments that we’re dis-  “As an independent developer, that challenge
                         cussing here – be it electric drives or the intro-  of tying down the financing, offtake, not run-
                         duction of hydrogen … investments of that  ning out of money in between and closing an
                         nature – they’re enormously capital-intensive,”  EPC [engineering, procurement and construc-
                         Brouillette said. As a result, he expects estab-  tion contract] – that’s a lot of work,” he said. He
                         lished players to continue leading the market,  went on to explain that the company’s priority
                         while new projects will face higher barriers. His  was bringing the first project online, as it would
                         thinking can be reflected in the moves Sempra  subsequently be easier to add new volumes
                         has been making recently on the LNG side,  incrementally, with each unit for Glenfarne
                         with the company having pushed back plans to  being 2mn tpy.
                         build its proposed Port Arthur LNG project and
                         opting instead to prioritise expanding its exist-  What next?
                         ing Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana. The  Glenfarne is not the only new entrant pursuing
                         company is also building carbon capture and  an FID on the US Gulf Coast. Commonwealth
                         storage (CCS) capacity to help lower Cameron’s  LNG’s CEO, Paul Varello, was reported last week
                         emissions profile.                   as saying his company was close to finalising
                           “There’s no doubt doing incremental build  supply deals that would cover roughly half of
                         from an existing platform has a lot of advan-  the offtake it needs to sell in order to sanction its  Glenfarne is not
                         tages,” said Duval, speaking from the perspec-  8.4mn tpy plant in Louisiana.
                         tive of a new entrant to the market. He went on   According to Varello, talks have picked up   the only new
                         to say that one of the first things he had learned  with potential buyers in Asia, Europe and else-  entrant pursuing
                         as an independent developer was the value of  where as gas demand and prices had risen.
                         starting from a strong financial base for any  However, the timeline of expected regulatory   an FID on the US
                         given project.                       approvals has forced the company to delay its
                           LNG developers are approaching this chal-  planned FID from late 2022 to the first quarter   Gulf Coast.
                         lenge in a growing variety of ways. In the case of  of 2023.
                         Glenfarne’s proposed Texas and Magnolia LNG   It comes as no great surprise that buyers
                         projects in the US, this involves developing sup-  are interested in securing long-term supply to
                         ply to meet the company’s own demand.  make themselves less vulnerable to spot mar-
                           “We got into the LNG export project develop-  ket volatility. However, they still appear to be
                         ment business in order to supply demand-side  proceeding with caution amid uncertainty over
                         projects that we’re developing,” Duval explained.  gas’ long-term role in the energy transition. As
                         The company’s initial plan is to build two 2mn  a result, the volumes being locked in via offtake
                         tonne per year (tpy) trains at Texas LNG. “We’ll  agreements are often smaller than some of the
                         FID that just to support the projects we’re devel-  deals struck in previous years, and this trend is
                         oping, but we’ll still be happy to sell out those  expected to continue.
                         volumes to long-term or medium-term offtake,   “Generally, I think we’re going to see smaller
                         and then shift our internal demand to the next  parcels of contracting, so you’re going to have to
                         train at Magnolia, for example,” Duval added.  aggregate more of those,” Walker said.™



       Week 41   15•October•2021                www. NEWSBASE .com                                              P5
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