en.Wedoany.com Reported - NextDecade has filed a pre-application with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the sixth liquefaction train at its Rio Grande LNG project, with plans to submit a full expansion application in 2026.

In November 2025, NextDecade initiated this pre-application process. On May 26, 2026, Rio Grande LNG formally submitted a complete application to FERC for the sixth train (RGLNG Train 6), planning to site, construct, and operate a new liquefaction train, a new marine terminal (Berth 3), and associated facilities.

The sixth train is designed with a production capacity of approximately 6.03 million tonnes per annum, and the third berth will accommodate LNG carriers ranging in capacity from 125,000 cubic meters to 216,000 cubic meters. Once operational, the maximum annual LNG vessel traffic at the Rio Grande LNG terminal is expected to increase to 510 transits.

Rio Grande LNG is requesting the Commission expedite approval of the application by March 2027 and is seeking a seven-year period from the date of the authorization order to complete construction and place the project into service, to account for "adverse weather and other unavoidable construction schedule delays."

This follows Rio Grande LNG recently receiving a three-year extension from FERC to complete construction of five trains at its LNG export facility in Texas. NextDecade made a final investment decision on the first three trains in July 2023, followed by final investment decisions on the fourth and fifth trains in September and October 2024. This brings the total expected LNG production capacity of the facility's under-construction projects to approximately 30 million tonnes per annum. NextDecade anticipates the facility will receive first gas by the end of 2026, with first LNG cargoes shipped from the first train in the first half of 2027.

In its application, Rio Grande LNG stated that significant project development work was undertaken for the sixth train prior to initiating the pre-application process, enabling the submission of all 13 draft resource reports at an early stage and allowing stakeholders ample time to review the proposed project information. The public, relevant agencies, and other stakeholders will have full opportunity to participate and provide feedback throughout the process.

Rio Grande LNG's rationale for requesting expedited FERC review includes the "significant near-term and long-term disruption to global LNG supply" caused by conflict in the Middle East, heightening the urgency to supply more LNG to US allies and trading partners. The company noted that global competitors such as Argentina's YPF, Italy's Eni, and Spain's Repsol have recently expressed intentions to accelerate the development of LNG export facilities to address international market supply shortages. Rio Grande LNG emphasized that "the United States must not fall behind its global competitors."

Furthermore, Rio Grande LNG argues that the scope of environmental impact review required for the project is limited. The Commission has accumulated a "substantial record" over nearly a decade of reviewing the authorized RGLNG terminal and has already authorized and reviewed impacts associated with the sixth train at the authorized terminal. The company stated that the proposed sixth train largely replicates the design of the five previously authorized and currently under-construction liquefaction trains.

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