HOUSTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Energy

Chris Wright gave Venture Global ( VG ) final approval on

Tuesday to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its CP2

plant, under construction in Louisiana, to countries that do not

have a free trade agreement with the U.S.

The approval will allow Venture Global ( VG ) to export 28 million

metric tons per annum (mtpa) or 3.96 billion cubic feet per day

of U.S. natural gas to so called non-Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

countries.

"In less than ten months, President Trump's administration

is redefining what it means to unleash American energy by

approving record new LNG exports," said Kyle Haustveit,

Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy.

Venture Global ( VG ) is the second-largest U.S. exporter of LNG

and when the CP2 plant is complete could leapfrog Cheniere

Energy and become the largest U.S. exporter of the

super-chilled gas.

"We look forward to continue advancing the project safely

and quickly to bring new LNG to the global market at a record

pace beginning in 2027," Venture Global's ( VG ) CEO Mike Sabel said in

a statement to Reuters.

Companies need permission to export LNG to non-FTA

countries. The majority of buyers in Europe and Asia do not have

free trade agreements with the U.S.

In 2024, the U.S. under former President Joe Biden paused

issuing of non-FTA export permits to LNG developers so it could

study the environmental and economic impact of more U.S. export

of LNG.

The Trump administration reversed that decision.

The authorization follows the Department of Energy's

conditional authorization to Venture Global ( VG ) in March and the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's May approval to construct

the plant.