Once first LNG cargo is loaded, FLNG set to go offline for maintenance works

U.S. energy infrastructure player New Fortress Energy (NFE) is putting the wheels in motion to hit a new milestone at its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit off the coast of Altamira, Mexico, with the delivery of the first LNG cargo.

Following the start of production at its first Fast LNG installation, FLNG 1, which is made up of three repurposed jack-up rigs off the coast of Altamira, New Fortress Energy confirmed the asset’s schedule to conclude commissioning and its preproduction run due on Friday, August 9.

At this point, the first partial LNG cargo is set to be loaded onto the Energos Princess and delivered to NFE’s La Paz, Mexico terminal in the following days. After the first load is out of the way, the FLNG is slated to undergo a scheduled maintenance outage of several days.

Afterward, the FLNG, with a capacity of 1.4 million tons per annum (mtpa), will resume operations and is expected to reach full production later this month. Recently, NFE closed its previously announced $700 million loan for its second unit, FLNG 2, with construction works scheduled to be wrapped up in the first half of 2026.

Wes Edens, Chairman and CEO of New Fortress Energy, commented: “Being able to supply our customers with our own LNG has been a goal for the company for many years. Natural gas and power supply are critical components of a sustainable, affordable, and cleaner energy system and we are grateful to now be able to provide an end-to-end solution for our customers. This milestone reinforces NFE’s position as a leading vertically integrated gas to power company.”

The export permit for the Altamira Fast LNG facility from Mexico’s Ministry of Energy (SENER) enables the U.S. company to export up to 7.8 million metric tons through April 2028, following the authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for export of United States-sourced LNG to Mexico and other free trade agreement (FTA) countries.

The U.S. player’s recent divestment of Miami LNG follows the sale of its 20% equity interest in Energos Infrastructure. A few months ago, the company started operations at its LNG import terminal in Santa Catarina, Brazil, following the arrival of a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).