Woodside Energy CEO Meg O'Neill stated on Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Louisiana liquefied natural gas export facility that global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to grow by 50% over the next decade, providing support for the rationale for expanding US supply. As the largest foreign-funded project in Louisiana's history, this project is also the first US LNG export facility to receive financial approval since the Trump administration returned to the White House in January this year. It is planned to start production in 2029 with an annual production capacity of 16.5 million metric tons of ultra cold gas, targeting markets in Europe and Asia.

O'Neill emphasized at the event in Calcasu County that "although price sensitivity limits some countries' participation in the market, there is enormous long-term demand potential." She responded to the warning from Patrick Puyane, CEO of TotalEnergies, that new production capacity in the United States may lead to market overcapacity, expressing "skepticism" towards it. As one of Australia's largest energy companies, Woodside has ventured into the operation of LNG export facilities in the United States for the first time. The first phase of the project is expected to invest $17.5 billion, covering the entire chain from production to shipment.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry stated at the ceremony that the facility is in line with the US policy orientation of providing stable energy to the global market. Markus Hartzelmann, Deputy Consul General of the German Consulate General in Houston, revealed that Germany will become an important customer for the project, calling it a milestone in the transatlantic energy cooperation between Germany and the United States. Industry analysis suggests that the energy transition in Europe and the growth of emerging markets in Asia will jointly drive LNG demand, while the low-cost supply capacity brought by the shale gas revolution in the United States makes it a key participant in the global energy landscape reconstruction. Editor/Xu Shengpeng