Alaska LNG project could begin as early as 2030, says state governor

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced on Friday that exports of liquefied gas from Alaska may begin as early as 2030 or 2031.

In his speech to Congress, Donald Trump praised the $44 billion Alaska LNG Project. The project will deliver approximately 3.5 billion cubic foot of gas per day from Alaska's North Slope, a large portion of which is destined for international markets.

No final investment decisions have been made yet. The project requires an 800-mile gas pipeline from Alaska's North to Asia.

Dunleavy, who spoke at a Houston energy conference, said that Alaska has been in contact with potential buyers from Taiwan, South Korea Japan and Thailand.

He said that the process of building a pipeline would be expedited. He added that he expected it to take about two and a half years to complete.

Dunleavy's optimistic response to a question about the timeline was: "We have all permits, feedback from the court cases, the support of President of the United States and we have Asian Allies who need gas."

The project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission during Trump's initial term as President. It received final legal approval from 2022 despite environmental group opposition.

Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, has stated that all options are available to support the project. This includes a possible loan guarantee by his department's Loan Programs Office. (Reporting and editing by Simon Webb, Nia Williams, and Arathy S. Somasekhar)

(source: Reuters)