Sept 2 (Reuters) - Energy firm Commonwealth LNG said on Tuesday it has received the

final non-free trade agreement export authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for

its export facility in Louisiana.

The United States has been making efforts to cement its position as the biggest exporter of

liquefied natural gas after replacing previous LNG export leaders, Qatar and Australia.

In January, President Donald Trump lifted a pause on new LNG export permits, put in

place by the previous administration in 2024 for a review of the public interest criteria, soon

after coming into office.

With new projects now under construction and others expected to receive financial

approval this year, the United States could triple its export capacity by 2030.

Commonwealth was the first company to secure an LNG export license following the

Biden-era suspension.

The company's facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, is designed to produce 9.5 million

tonnes of LNG annually. With

both DOE authorization and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval now in hand

, Commonwealth plans to make a final investment decision in the fourth quarter of 2025,

targeting first production by 2029.

LNG developers typically reach a final investment decision once they have lined up

enough long-term supply contracts to support construction financing.

Commonwealth already has long-term, binding offtake agreements with global energy firms

Glencore ( GLCNF ), JERA and PETRONAS for a total of 4 Mtpa of LNG.