North America to contribute 47% of global small-scale LNG liquefaction capacity additions by 2023, says GlobalData

North America is expected to drive global small-scale LNG liquefaction capacity growth from planned and announced (new-build) projects between 2019 and 2023, contributing around 47% of the total growth, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The company’s report, ‘Global Small-Scale LNG Liquefaction Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook – The US Leads Globally on Capacity Additions and Capital Expenditure Outlook’, reveals that North America is expected to have a new-build small-scale LNG liquefaction capacity of 7,880 thousand tonnes per annum (ktpa) by 2023.

Early-stage announced projects account for most of the new-build capacity in the region with 84% or 6,640 ktpa, while planned projects with identifiable development plans account for the remaining capacity.

Soorya Tejomoortula, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, says: “In North America, 25 planned and announced projects are expected to start operations by 2023. Of these, Browntown and Browntown II terminals both proposed in the US have the highest small-scale LNG liquefaction capacities by 2023 with 2,120 ktpa each.”

GlobalData identifies Asia as the second-highest region in terms of global small-scale LNG liquefaction capacity growth adding a new-build capacity of 3,810 ktpa by 2023. The announced ‘Xi an’ terminal in China is the largest upcoming project in the region with a new-build capacity of 1,400 ktpa by 2023.

After Asia, the Former Soviet Union stands third globally with new-build small-scale LNG liquefaction capacity additions of 3,230 ktpa by 2023. The Portovaya terminal in Russia is the largest upcoming refinery in the region with a new-build capacity of 1,500 ktpa by 2023.