NEXT Greenlights Rio Grande LNG Train 5, Adding 6 MTPA LNG Capacity

NextDecade Corporation NEXT, a U.S.-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) operator, announced that it has taken a positive final investment decision on Train 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Brownsville, TX. Additionally, NEXT stated that it has issued a full notice to proceed with the construction activities for Train 5 and the associated infrastructure to Bechtel. The work will be executed under a lump-sum, turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contract signed between the two companies a few months back.

NEXT Secures $6.7 Billion in Committed Financing

The cost associated with the construction of the fifth liquefaction train and other related infrastructure is estimated to be $6.7 billion. NextDecade has reportedly secured the full amount in committed financing, which consists of a mix of debt and equity. The funding includes a $3.59 billion term loan facility and $0.50 billion raised via issuance of private placement notes. Furthermore, NEXT has committed $1.29 billion in equity financing, and an additional $1.29 billion in equity commitments has been secured from Global Infrastructure Partners, now part of BlackRock, GIC, and Mubadala Investment Company.

The fifth train is expected to add 6 million tons per annum (mtpa) of additional liquefaction capacity to the LNG export plant. This should raise the total production capacity at the LNG facility, currently under construction, to about 30 mtpa. NextDecade anticipates that Train 5 will reach a completion date and achieve its initial commercial delivery in the first six months of 2031.

NEXT’s Train 5 Supported by Long-Term Offtake Agreements

The construction of Train 5 is commercially backed by several long-term sales and purchase agreements totaling up to 4.5 mtpa of LNG. This includes EQT Corporation EQT, which signed a 20-year sales and purchase agreement with NEXT for the purchase of 1.5 mtpa of LNG on a free-on-board basis. Additionally, the Japanese energy firm JERA has secured 2 mtpa from Train 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project under a sales and purchase agreement for 20 years. The U.S. LNG operator also signed a 20-year sales and purchase agreement with ConocoPhillips COP for 1 mtpa of LNG in September 2025. With this deal, the company concluded the commercialization of the fifth liquefaction train.

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