American giant postpones operation of first liquefied gas plant in Iraq
American giant postpones operation of first liquefied gas plant in Iraq
2026-05-08
Shafaq News – Translation
US-based Excelerate Energy has postponed the deployment of its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for Iraq’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project to Jordan, delaying the commissioning of Iraq’s first LNG import terminal until 2027.
According to IndexBox, a website specializing in energy markets, the American company decided to operate the new “Excelerate Acadia” unit in Jordan under a nine-month contract with the Jordanian National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), instead of sending it to Iraq, due to the repercussions of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the delay in the Iraqi project’s timeline.
In October 2025, the company signed an agreement with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to develop the first floating terminal for importing liquefied natural gas at the Khor Al-Zubair port in Basra Governorate, as part of a project worth approximately $450 million.
The project includes the construction of a floating import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG), and the provision of regasification services and LNG supplies, using the “Hull 3407” storage and regasification unit, which was built in South Korea with a storage capacity of 170,000 cubic meters and a regasification capacity of up to one billion cubic feet per day.
The project was scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2026, but its operation was postponed to 2027, while construction and technical preparations for the Iraqi port continued.
Earlier, the company announced that the new floating unit had successfully passed marine performance and safety tests, paving the way for its final delivery and deployment within the Iraq LNG project.
shafaq.com
