US-listed New Fortress Energy has received an export permit for its planned first floating LNG (FLNG) production facility in Mexico.

The company said under the permit, which was granted by Mexico’s Ministry of Energy — Secretaria de Energia (SENER) — it is now authorised to export up to 7.8 million tonnes of LNG through the period until April 2028.

New Fortress said this provides “ample capacity” to support the operations of its 1.4 million tonnes per annum Fast LNG unit through this permitted period.

The company has previously received authorisation from the US Department of Energy to export US-sourced LNG to Mexico and other free-trade-agreement countries.

New Fortress said construction of its first FLNG unit is over 90% complete.

It said deployment to Altamira is “expected to begin this month”.

New Fortress is converting three jack-up rigs into this initial FLNG unit at the US-based Kiewit shipyard.

In May, the company said it anticipates the first gas from this $1bn-priced floater in July with commercial operation to follow in August.

New Fortress chairman and chief executive Wes Edens said: “This permit is the final piece to the puzzle for launching our first Fast LNG in Altamira.”

Edens added: “Obtaining this authorisation not only paves the way for operations to commence at our new LNG hub in the third quarter of this year, but it also advances our efforts to expand access to cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy to customers around the world.”

“With operations slated to begin in the third quarter of 2023, NFE [New Fortress Energy] is on track to establish its new LNG hub,” the company said.

New Fortress announced in May that it plans to create a 2.8-mtpa LNG export hub in Altamira by using the liquefaction modules it had planned for its second two floaters as onshore units.

These are scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.