BROWNSVILLE, Texas - As one of the biggest industrial projects to happen in South Texas, Rio Grande LNG has reached a milestone.
The $25 billion plus enterprise is under construction on land owned by the Brownsville Navigation District and is scheduled to begin exporting its product by the middle of 2027.
The Houston-based company held a number of open houses on Thursday, Oct. 2, and Friday, Oct. 3, in Brownsville and in Port Isabel to give an update of the project.
It included demonstration about the qualities and safety of the natural liquefied gas that will be shipped out of the Port of Brownsville.
Marc Palazzo, senior vice president of policy and corporate affairs with NextDecade, said one of their business aims is to help countries all over the world to come out of “power poverty.”
That is to say, taking more electric services to better people’s lives.
He said company officials met with students with the Brownsville school district and were really impressed with the level of interest shown by the students about the project.
After all, the gas terminal going up along Texas Highway 48 is employing today more than 4,500 people with 70 percent of them coming from a 100-mile radius.
Bechtel Construction Services, the project’s employer, will have a labor force of 5,000.
The jobs in demand are for welders, pipe fitters, contraction workers as well as for engineers and business administrators, among others.
“We are providing a great economic stimulus to this region,” Palazzo said. “We have also secured land for conservation.”
The open houses clarified some of the terminology used by those with Rio Grande LNG.
For example, five trains are being built under one phase of the project.
But those trains are not the iron horses seen cruising back and forth along railroad lines.
A train referred to a unit, or a giant refrigeration container, that processes the natural gas.
And how about liquefied natural gas?
LNG is natural gas converted into a liquid state, primarily methane, cooled to minus 262 degrees Fahrenheit.
Susan Richardson, a spokeswoman with NextDecade, said the company has reached a milestone as the roofs of two tanks are now in place.
A tank is a container to store LNG.
Some 60 people attended the first open house held Thursday, October 2, at TSC SET Lecture Hall. A second one was scheduled for the next day.
Rio Grande Valley Partnership staff attended the LNG open houses. The group said:
"Last week, the RGV Partnership attended the Open House & LNG Safety Demonstration, hosted by NextDecade in collaboration with Texas Southmost College.
"The event, held in Brownsville and Port Isabel, offered an interactive look at the science and safety behind liquefied natural gas (LNG) — a technology that plays a vital role in the growth and energy future of our region.
"Participants had the opportunity to engage with experts, ask questions, and see firsthand how LNG operations prioritize safety and innovation. Bilingual interpretation ensured that all attendees could fully participate in the discussion.
"By attending events like this, the RGV Partnership continues to stay informed and connected, ensuring our region is equipped to advance economic development, energy innovation, and public safety."
