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Bechtel’s Next 125

Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project

Texas, USA
Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project

Providing cleaner, secure, flexible energy

Cheniere Energy, is increasing global access to liquified natural gas (LNG) and helping to meet the growing demand for this cleaner, reliable and flexible energy source.

As part of its efforts, Cheniere developed the U.S.'s first greenfield LNG export facility in fifty years, the Corpus Christi Liquefaction facility. where LNG is safely and securely sent overseas from its location on the Texas Gulf Coast near some of the most prolific natural gas producing regions in the country and connected to the U.S. natural gas pipeline network. 

About the project

This 1,000+ acre facility contains three liquefaction units, or trains, with a total capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum.

The first two LNG trains were completed in 2019 and the third was completed in 2021. The development of Train 1 won the Global Best Project Award in Power/Industrial from ENRNews.

In June 2022, Cheniere announced the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion, which will include Bechtel’s EPC execution of seven midscale trains, powered by Chart Technology with motor driven refrigeration compressors. Once operational, the expansion has an expected total production capacity of approximately 10+ mtpa of LNG.

The operating facility at a glance

  • Three trains with total capacity of 15 million tonnes per annum.
  • Three storage tanks that can hold 480,000 cubic meters of LNG.
  • Two berths that can receive the world’s largest LNG carrier, the Q-Max, which can transport 266,000 cubic meters of LNG to better meet demand.
  • Uses ConocoPhillips Optimized Cascade® process to efficiently and effectively cool the natural gas.

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Environmental focus

During the build, the Cheniere team facilitated the construction of more than $8 million of breakwater projects to minimize shoreline erosion along the gulf and to protect and enhance sensitive wetland resources.

Equity on site

The Bechtel and Cheniere teams partnered with the National Hispanic Entrepreneurs’ Organization (NHEO) Institute to ensure equity by identifying and eliminating barriers among its non-native English speakers. 

Bechtel also partnered with NHEO to create the Building a Safer Future campaign designed for craft professionals to help reduce and ultimately eliminate construction-related hazards.

Onsite tech increases safety and enhances communications

The Bechtel team used 20 innovative solutions to improve cost and schedule. These included drones to survey the site and locate equipment, robotic automation bots to increase efficiency, single interface apps for planning, assigning, tracking, and claiming work packages across a range of field disciplines, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for on-time material deliveries.

To keep safe during the pandemic, colleagues also used a mobile app that enabled real-time collaboration with technicians and engineers in the field and those working remote.

Supporting the local community

At the onset of the pandemic, the Corpus Christi project team donated more than 30,000 lbs. of food and water to the Coastal Bend Food Bank, gave $16,000 to local charities using profits from an onsite metal recycling program, and donated 1,000 N-95 respirators to the local Fire Department and first responders.

Both Cheniere and Bechtel, through its Bechtel Group foundation, separately donated to the American Red Cross to help after Hurricane Harvey, which significantly impacted the local community in 2017.  

Partners in progress

Cheniere and Bechtel have worked together for more than 15 years. To date, we have completed nine LNG trains between Cheniere's two Gulf Coast facilities. All nine trains were completed ahead of schedule and within project budgets. With the Stage 3 expansion underway, up to seven additional LNG trains are in the EPC phase to support the growing demand for natural gas around the world.