The long-struggling, $44 billion Alaska LNG project has landed a private partner that will take over majority ownership of the company that seeks to deliver natural gas from the North Slope to Alaskans and the world.
The Glenfarne Group will also lead development of the project to construction and operation after the board of the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. on Thursday agreed to a binding deal with the company, according to a statement from AGDC, a state agency.
“Glenfarne’s financial, project management, and commercial expertise is well matched to lead this vital project forward,” said Brendan Duval, Glenfarne’s founder. “Alaska LNG will provide desperately needed energy security and natural gas cost savings for Alaskans and give Glenfarne unmatched flexibility to simultaneously serve LNG markets in both Asia and Europe through our three LNG projects.”
The change in ownership is significant in part because the state corporation has run the project on its own for nearly a decade, after the major oil companies that were its original partners backed out in 2016.
Glenfarne, founded in 2011, is a New York company that develops, owns and operates energy and infrastructure projects. The company is the developer, owner and operator of Texas LNG, the most recent U.S. LNG project to fully sell its LNG volumes with a total market value over $60 billion, its founder Brendan Duval said in February.
“Alaska LNG will ensure a brighter future for generations of Alaskans and I look forward to working with Glenfarne as they lead Alaska LNG forward,” said Frank Richards, president of the AGDC.
“Today is a historic day for Alaska,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said. “Alaska LNG will strengthen the U.S. geostrategic position in the North Pacific, provide vital energy security for our residents, our military bases, our businesses, and our Asian allies, and unlock billions in economic benefit at home and abroad.”
The project has seen renewed interest from Asian companies that might serve as investors or gas buyers, and President Donald Trump has touted the pipeline as a key project he’d like to see built.
Trump said in his speech to Congress this month that his administration is working on a “gigantic” natural gas pipeline, referring to Alaska LNG. The project’s gas exports to Asia could be so large that they could help alleviate trade imbalances.
The state gas line corporation declined to release the contract with Glenfarne.
The project envisions development of a roughly 800-mile pipeline delivering natural gas from the North Slope. The gas would be processed at a treatment plant on the North Slope and liquefied in Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula, then exported to Asian markets in oceangoing tankers.
Richards told the gasline board on Thursday that the deal calls for Glenfarne to assume 75% equity of 8 Star Alaska, the state agency’s project development company. The state gas line agency will hold the remaining ownership.
The state has the option to invest in individual facilities such as the gas treatment plant, he said.
“We’ve reserved the right for investment, for the state, of up to 25% in any of the subprojects or all,” Richards said. “And that will be an ongoing discussion with the Legislature and the administration on if that is an opportunity they would like to take or not.”
Glenfarne will cover the costs of the engineering and design work that needs to be completed before a final decision to build the project is made. Duval said the money will come from a consortium of private investors, but a federal loan guarantee could help support that effort, he said.
“They will fund and resource the Alaskan LNG project to final investment decision,” Richards said. “This covers the entire Alaska LNG project, and not just the initial phase of the pipeline.”
Duval said it’s possible a final investment decision could be made by the end of this year. LNG deliveries could begin in 2030 or 2031, he said.
It is unclear what investors, if any, would provide the large sums of money for construction of the project.
It’s also unclear where the natural gas would come from. The agency has signed a deal with a small oil and gas explorer in Alaska in an effort to provide gas for the first phase. Great Bear Pantheon, however, currently does not produce oil or gas. There’s no guarantee it will produce gas in Alaska.
Richards said the gas line agency is working on securing gas sales precedent agreements with other producers, including for gas at the Point Thomson and Prudhoe Bay fields.
Richards said the agreement with Glenfarne covers the entire Alaska LNG project, and not just the initial phase of the pipeline. “So gas treatment, pipeline and liquefaction (plant). But the priority is going to be the phase-one pipeline and gas for Alaskans,” Richards said.
The first phase of the project has been estimated to cost $11 billion. It calls for the construction of a 750-mile pipeline to deliver the gas from the North Slope to the Interior and Southcentral Alaska, where electric utilities are looking at importing natural gas as Cook Inlet gas dwindles.
After the first-phase construction, the larger project to export the gas can be built, according to the plan. That portion of the project includes the construction of a liquefaction facility.
Richards said he was calling into the meeting from Asia. He said he was on a trade mission with Glenfarne and Gov. Dunleavy to Asian countries, looking for companies that might commit to buying Alaska’s gas or investing in the project.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
