Cheniere Energy Partners LP
For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Feb 20, 2025.
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FY2024 · Filed Feb 20, 2025
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Items 1 and 2. BUSINESS AND PROPERTIES
General
We are a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership formed by Cheniere. We provide clean, secure and affordable LNG to integrated energy companies, utilities and energy trading companies around the world. We aspire to conduct our business in a safe and responsible manner, delivering a reliable, competitive and integrated source of LNG to our customers.
LNG is natural gas (methane) in liquid form. The LNG we produce is shipped all over the world, converted back into natural gas (called “regasification”) and then transported via pipeline to homes and businesses and used as an energy source that is essential for heating, cooking, other industrial uses and back up for intermittent energy sources. Natural gas is a cleaner-burning, abundant and affordable source of energy. When LNG is converted back to natural gas, it can be used instead of coal, which reduces the amount of pollution traditionally produced from burning fossil fuels, like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter that enters the air we breathe. Additionally, compared to coal, it produces significantly fewer carbon emissions. By liquefying natural gas, we are able to reduce its volume by 600 times so that we can load it onto special LNG carriers designed to keep the LNG cold and in liquid form for efficient transport overseas.
We own a natural gas liquefaction and export facility located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana at Sabine Pass (the“Sabine Pass LNG Terminal”), one of the largest LNG production facilities in the world, which has six operational Trains, for a total production capacity of approximately 30 mtpa of LNG (the“Liquefaction Project”). The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal also has operational regasification facilities that include five LNG storage tanks with aggregate capacity of approximately 17 Bcfe and vaporizers with regasification capacity of approximately 4 Bcf/d, as well as three marine berths, two of which can accommodate vessels with nominal capacity of up to 266,000 cubic meters and the third berth which can accommodate vessels with nominal capacity of up to 200,000 cubic meters. We also own a 94-mile natural gas supply pipeline through our subsidiary, CTPL, that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal with several large interstate and intrastate pipelines (the“Creole Trail Pipeline”).
Our long-term counterparty arrangements form the foundation of our business and provide us with significant, stable, long-term cash flows, and include SPAs, in which our customers are generally required to pay a fixed fee with respect to the contracted volumes irrespective of their election to cancel or suspend deliveries of LNG cargoes, and IPM agreements, in which a gas producer sells natural gas to us on a global LNG or natural gas index price, less a fixed liquefaction fee, shipping and other costs. The SPAs also have a variable fee component, which is primarily indexed to Henry Hub and generally structured to cover the cost of natural gas purchases, transportation and liquefaction fuel consumed to produce LNG. Since we procure most of our feedstock for LNG production from the U.S., the structure of these contracts helps limit our exposure to fluctuations in U.S. natural gas prices. Through our SPAs and the IPM agreement currently in effect, with approximately 13 years of weighted average remaining life as of December 31, 2024, we have contracted approximately 80% of the total anticipated production from the Liquefaction Project, excluding volumes that are contractually subject to additional liquefaction capacity beyond what is currently in construction or operation.
We remain focused on safety, operational excellence and customer satisfaction. Increasing demand for LNG has allowed us to expand our liquefaction infrastructure in a financially disciplined manner. We have increased available liquefaction capacity at our Liquefaction Project as a result of debottlenecking and other optimization projects. We believe these factors provide a foundation for additional growth in our portfolio of customer contracts in the future. We hold a significant land position at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, which provides opportunity for further liquefaction capacity expansion. We are developing an expansion adjacent to the Liquefaction Project with a total production capacity of up to approximately 20 mtpa of LNG, inclusive of estimated debottlenecking opportunities (the“SPL Expansion Project”). In February 2024, certain of our subsidiaries submitted an application to the FERC under the Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended (the“NGA”), for authorization to site, construct and operate the SPL Expansion Project, as well as an application to the DOE requesting authorization to export LNG to FTA countries and non-FTA countries, both of which applications exclude debottlenecking. In October 2024, the authorization from the DOE to export LNG to FTA countries was received. The development of the SPL Expansion Project or other projects, including infrastructure projects in support of natural gas supply and LNG demand, will require, among other things, acceptable commercial and financing arrangements before a positive FID is made.
Our Business Strategy
Our primary business strategy is to develop, construct and operate assets to meet our long-term customers’ energy demands. We plan to implement our strategy by:
safely, efficiently and reliably operating and maintaining our assets, including our Trains;
procuring natural gas and pipeline transport capacity to our facility;
commencing commercial delivery for our long-term SPA customers, of which we have initiated for ten of eleven third party long-term SPA customers as of December 31, 2024;
continuing to secure long-term customer contracts to support our planned expansion, including the FID of potential expansion projects;
maximizing the production of LNG to serve our customers and generating steady and stable revenues and operating cash flows;
optimizing the Liquefaction Project by leveraging existing infrastructure;
maintaining a prudent and cost-effective capital structure; and
strategically identifying actionable and economic environmental solutions.
Our Business
We shipped our first LNG cargo in February 2016 and as of February 14, 2025, approximately 2,840 cumulative LNG cargoes totaling over 195 million tonnes of LNG have been produced, loaded and exported from the Liquefaction Project.
Below is a discussion of our operations. For further discussion of our contractual obligations and cash requirements related to these operations, refer to Liquidity and Capital Resources in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Sabine Pass LNG Terminal
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, as described above under the caption General, is one of the largest LNG production facilities in the world with six Trains, five storage tanks and three marine berths. In February 2024, certain of our subsidiaries submitted an application to the FERC under the NGA for authorization to site, construct and operate the SPL Expansion Project, as well as an application to the DOE requesting authorization to export LNG to FTA countries and non-FTA countries, both of which applications exclude debottlenecking. In October 2024, the authorization from the DOE to export LNG to FTA countries was received for the SPL Expansion Project.
The following summarizes the volumes of natural gas for which we have received approvals from the FERC to site, construct and operate the Trains at the Liquefaction Project and the orders we have received from the DOE authorizing the export of domestically produced LNG by vessel from the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal through December 31, 2050:
| FERC Approved Volume | DOE Approved Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in Bcf/yr) | (in mtpa) | (in Bcf/yr) | (in mtpa) | |
| FTA countries (1) | 1,661.94 | 33 | 1,661.94 | 33 |
| Non-FTA countries | 1,661.94 | 33 | 1,661.94 | 33 |
(1)Excludes 899 Bcf/yr to FTA countries authorized in October 2024 for the SPL Expansion Project that is not effective until the date of first commercial export from the SPL Expansion Project.
Natural Gas Supply, Transportation and Storage
SPL has secured natural gas feedstock for the Liquefaction Project through long-term natural gas supply agreements, including an IPM agreement. SPL Stage V also has an IPM agreement to supply the SPL Expansion Project, subject to Cheniere making a positive FID on the first train of the SPL Expansion Project. Additionally, to ensure that SPL is able to transport and manage the natural gas feedstock to the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, it has transportation precedent and other agreements to secure firm pipeline transportation and storage capacity from third parties and CTPL.
Regasification Facilities
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, as described above under the caption General, has operational regasification capacity of approximately 4 Bcf/d and aggregate LNG storage capacity of approximately 17 Bcfe. SPLNG has a long-term, third party TUA for 1 Bcf/d with TotalEnergies Gas & Power North America, Inc.(“TotalEnergies”), under which TotalEnergies is required to pay fixed monthly fees, whether or not it uses the regasification capacity it has reserved. Prior to its cancellation effective December 31, 2022, SPLNG also had a TUA for 1 Bcf/d with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (“Chevron”). Approximately 2 Bcf/d of the remaining capacity has been reserved under a TUA by SPL, which also has a partial TUA assignment agreement with TotalEnergies, as further described in Note 12—Revenues of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Major Customers
Customers accounting for 10% or more of total consolidated revenues were as follows:
| Percentage of Total Revenues from External Customers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, | |||
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| BG Gulf Coast LNG, LLC and affiliates | 22% | 23% | 22% |
| Korea Gas Corporation | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| GAIL (India) Limited | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| Naturgy LNG GOM, Limited | 14% | 15% | 15% |
| TotalEnergies Gas & Power North America, Inc. | 11% | 11% | 10% |
All of the above customers contribute to our LNG revenues through SPA contracts.
Additional information regarding our customer contracts can be found in Liquidity and Capital Resources in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Note 16—Segment Information and Customer Concentration of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Governmental Regulation
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and the Creole Trail Pipeline are subject to extensive regulation under federal, state and local statutes, rules, regulations and laws. These laws require that we engage in consultations with appropriate federal and state agencies and that we obtain and maintain applicable permits and other authorizations. These rigorous regulatory requirements increase the cost of construction and operation, and failure to comply with such laws could result in substantial penalties and/or loss of necessary authorizations.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The design, construction, operation, maintenance and expansion of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, the import or export of LNG and the purchase and transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce through the Creole Trail Pipeline are highly regulated activities subject to the jurisdiction of the FERC pursuant to the NGA. Under the NGA, the FERC’s jurisdiction generally extends to the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, to the sale for resale of natural gas in interstate commerce, to natural gas companies engaged in such transportation or sale and to the construction, operation, maintenance and expansion of LNG terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines.
The FERC’s authority to regulate interstate natural gas pipelines and the services that they provide generally includes regulation of:
rates and charges, and terms and conditions for natural gas transportation, storage and related services;
the certification and construction of new facilities and modification of existing facilities;
the extension and abandonment of services and facilities;
the administration of accounting and financial reporting regulations, including the maintenance of accounts and records;
the acquisition and disposition of facilities;
the initiation and discontinuation of services; and
various other matters.
Under the NGA, our pipeline is not permitted to unduly discriminate or grant undue preference as to rates or the terms and conditions of service to any shipper, including its own marketing affiliates. Those rates, terms and conditions must be public, and on file with the FERC. In contrast to pipeline regulation, the FERC does not require LNG terminal owners to provide open-access services at cost-based or regulated rates. Although the provisions that codified the FERC’s policy in this area expired on January 1, 2015, we see no indication that the FERC intends to change its policy in this area. On February 18, 2022, the FERC updated its 1999 Policy Statement on certification of new interstate natural gas facilities and the framework for the FERC’s decision-making process, modifying the standards that the FERC uses to evaluate applications to include, among other things, reasonably foreseeable greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions that may be attributable to the project and the project’s impact on environmental justice communities. On March 24, 2022, the FERC rescinded the Policy Statement, re-issued it as a draft and it remains pending. At this time, we do not expect it to have a material adverse effect on our operations.
We are permitted to make sales of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce pursuant to a blanket marketing certificate granted by the FERC with the issuance of our Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to our marketing affiliates. Our sales of natural gas will be affected by the availability, terms and cost of pipeline transportation. As noted above, the price and terms of access to pipeline transportation are subject to extensive federal and state regulation.
In order to site, construct and operate the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, we received and are required to maintain authorizations from the FERC under Section 3 of the NGA as well as other material governmental and regulatory approvals and permits. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the“EPAct”) amended Section 3 of the NGA to establish or clarify the FERC’s exclusive authority to approve or deny an application for the siting, construction, expansion or operation of LNG terminals, unless specifically provided otherwise in the EPAct, amendments to the NGA. For example, nothing in the EPAct amendments to the NGA were intended to affect otherwise applicable law related to any other federal agency’s authorities or responsibilities related to LNG terminals or those of a state acting under federal law.
In February 2024, certain of our subsidiaries submitted an application to the FERC under the NGA for authorization to site, construct and operate the SPL Expansion Project.
The FERC’s Standards of Conduct apply to interstate pipelines that conduct transmission transactions with an affiliate that engages in natural gas marketing functions. The general principles of the FERC Standards of Conduct are: (1) independent functioning, which requires transmission function employees to function independently of marketing function employees; (2) no-conduit rule, which prohibits passing transmission function information to marketing function employees; and (3) transparency, which imposes posting requirements to detect undue preference due to the improper disclosure of non-public transmission function information. We have established the required policies, procedures and training to comply with the FERC’s Standards of Conduct.
All of our FERC construction, operation, reporting, accounting and other regulated activities are subject to audit by the FERC, which may conduct routine or special inspections and issue data requests designed to ensure compliance with FERC rules, regulations, policies and procedures. The FERC’s jurisdiction under the NGA allows it to impose civil and criminal penalties for any violations of the NGA and any rules, regulations or orders of the FERC up to approximately $1.5 million per day per violation, including any conduct that violates the NGA’s prohibition against market manipulation.
Several other governmental and regulatory approvals and permits are required throughout the life of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and the Creole Trail Pipeline. In addition, our FERC orders require us to comply with certain ongoing conditions and reporting obligations and maintain other regulatory agency approvals throughout the life of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and Creole Trail Pipeline. For example, throughout the life of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and the Creole Trail Pipeline, we are subject to regular reporting requirements to the FERC, the Department of Transportation’s (“DOT”) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) and applicable federal and state regulatory agencies regarding the operation and maintenance of our facilities. To date, we have been able to obtain and maintain required approvals as needed, and the need for these approvals and reporting obligations has not materially affected our construction or operations.
DOE Export Licenses
The DOE has authorized the export of domestically produced LNG by vessel from the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, as discussed in Sabine Pass LNG Terminal. Although it is not expected to occur, the loss of an export authorization could be a force majeure event under our SPAs.
Under Section 3 of the NGA, applications for exports of natural gas (including LNG) to FTA countries, which allow for national treatment for trade in natural gas, are “deemed to be consistent with the public interest” and shall be granted by the DOE without “modification or delay.” FTA countries currently recognized by the DOE for exports of LNG include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Republic of Korea and Singapore. FTAs with Israel and Costa Rica do not require national treatment for trade in natural gas. Applications for export of LNG to non-FTA countries are considered by the DOE in a notice and comment proceeding whereby the public and other interveners are provided the opportunity to comment and may assert that such authorization would not be consistent with the public interest. In January 2024, the Biden Administration announced a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of LNG to non-FTA countries until the DOE can update the underlying analyses for authorizations, which did not have a material adverse effect on our business, contracts, financial condition, operating results, cash flow, or liquidity for the year ended December 31, 2024. The DOE publicly released the updated analyses on December 17, 2024, and has solicited public comments on the analyses. On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order revoking the Biden Administration pause and extending the time for public comment. We do not expect the publication of the analyses to have a material effect on future DOE non-FTA export authorizations. The SPL Expansion Project is currently pending non-FTA export approval with the DOE, although such approval is subject to the receipt of regulatory permit approval from the FERC, responsive to our formal application. See Sabine Pass LNG Terminal for FERC and DOE approved volumes on our existing Liquefaction Project.
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal as well as the Creole Trail Pipeline are subject to regulation by PHMSA. PHMSA is authorized by the applicable pipeline safety laws to establish minimum safety standards for certain pipelines and LNG facilities. The regulatory standards PHMSA has established are applicable to the design, installation, testing, construction, operation, maintenance and management of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities and LNG facilities that affect interstate or foreign commerce. PHMSA has also established training, worker qualification and reporting requirements.
PHMSA performs inspections of pipeline and LNG facilities and has authority to undertake enforcement actions, including issuance of civil penalties up to approximately $273,000 per day per violation, with a maximum administrative civil penalty of approximately $2.7 million for any related series of violations.
Other Governmental Permits, Approvals and Authorizations
Construction and operation of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal requires additional permits, orders, approvals and consultations to be issued by various federal and state agencies, including the DOT, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”), U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the“EPA”), U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (the“LDEQ”).
The USACE issues its permits under the authority of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) (Section 404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (Section 10). The EPA administers the Clean Air Act (“CAA”), and has delegated authority to the LDEQ to issue the Title V Operating Permit and the Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permit. These two permits are issued by the LDEQ for the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and CTPL.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission(“CFTC”)
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the“Dodd-Frank Act”) amended the Commodity Exchange Act to provide for federal regulation of the over-the-counter derivatives market and entities, such as us, that participate in those markets. The CFTC has enacted a number of regulations pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act.
As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFTC and federal banking regulators also adopted rules requiring swap dealers (as defined in the Dodd-Frank Act), including those that are regulated financial institutions, to collect initial and/or variation margin with respect to uncleared swaps from their counterparties that are financial end users, registered swap dealers or major swap participants. These rules do not require collection of margin from non-financial-entity end users who qualify for the end user exception from the mandatory clearing requirement or from non-financial end users or certain other counterparties in certain instances. We qualify as a non-financial-entity end user with respect to the swaps that we enter into to hedge our commercial risks.
Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFTC adopted additional anti-manipulation and anti-disruptive trading practices regulations that prohibit, among other things, manipulative, deceptive or fraudulent schemes or material misrepresentation in the futures, options, swaps and cash markets. In addition, separate from the Dodd-Frank Act, our use of futures and options on commodities is subject to the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations, as well as the rules of futures exchanges on which any of these instruments are executed. Should we violate any of these laws and regulations, we could be subject to a CFTC or an exchange enforcement action and material penalties, possibly resulting in changes in the rates we can charge.
Environmental Regulation
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal is subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and natural resources. These environmental laws and regulations can affect the cost and output of operations and may impose substantial penalties for non-compliance and substantial liabilities for pollution, as further described in the risk factor Existing and future safety, environmental and similar laws and governmental regulations could result in increased compliance costs or additional operating costs or construction costs and restrictions in Risks Relating to Regulations within Item 1A. Risk Factors. Many of these laws and regulations, such as those noted below, restrict or prohibit impacts to the environment or the types, quantities and concentration of substances that can be released into the environment and can lead to substantial administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties for non-compliance.
Clean Air Act
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal is subject to the federal CAA and comparable state and local laws. We may be required to incur certain capital expenditures over the next several years for air pollution control equipment in connection with maintaining or obtaining permits and approvals addressing air emission-related issues. However, we do not believe any such requirements will have a material adverse effect on our operations, or the construction and operations at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal.
On February 28, 2022, the EPA removed a stay of formaldehyde standards in the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”) Subpart YYYY for stationary combustion turbines located at major sources of hazardous air pollutant (“HAP”) emissions. Owners and operators of lean remix gas-fired turbines and diffusion flame gas-fired turbines at major sources of HAP that were installed after January 14, 2003 were required to comply with NESHAP Subpart YYYY by March 9, 2022 and demonstrate initial compliance with those requirements by September 5, 2022. We do not believe that the construction and operations of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal will be materially and adversely affected by such regulatory actions.
We are supportive of regulations reducing GHG emissions over time. Since 2009, the EPA has promulgated and finalized multiple GHG emissions regulations related to reporting and reductions of GHG emissions from our facilities. On December 2, 2023, the EPA issued final rules to reduce methane and volatile organic compounds (“VOC”) emissions from new, existing and modified emission sources in the oil and gas sector. These regulations require monitoring of methane and VOC emissions at our compressor stations. We do not believe such regulations will have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition or results of operations.
From time to time, Congress has considered proposed legislation directed at reducing GHG emissions. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) which includes a charge on methane emissions above a certain methane intensity threshold for facilities that report their GHG emissions under the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Program Part 98 regulations. The charge started at $900 per metric ton of methane in 2024, increased to $1,200 per metric ton in 2025, and is increasing to $1,500 per metric ton in 2026 and beyond. On November 12, 2024, the EPA finalized a rule to impose and collect the methane emissions charge authorized under the IRA. We do not believe the methane charge will have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition or results of operations.
The timing, extent and impact of these rules and other Biden Administration initiatives remain uncertain as the Trump Administration has undertaken steps to delay their implementation, and to review, repeal and potentially replace them.
Coastal Zone Management Act (“CZMA”)
The siting and construction of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal within the coastal zone is subject to the requirements of the CZMA. The CZMA is administered by the states (in Louisiana, by the Department of Natural Resources). This program is implemented to ensure that impacts to coastal areas are consistent with the intent of the CZMA to manage the coastal areas.
Clean Water Act
The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal is subject to the federal CWA and analogous state and local laws. The CWA imposes strict controls on the discharge of pollutants into the navigable waters of the United States, including discharges of wastewater and storm water runoff and fill/discharges into waters of the United States. Permits must be obtained prior to discharging pollutants into state and federal waters. The CWA is administered by the EPA, the USACE and by the states (in Louisiana, by the LDEQ). The CWA regulatory programs, including the Section 404 dredge and fill permitting program and Section 401 water quality certification program carried out by the states, are frequently the subject of shifting agency interpretations and legal challenges, which at times can result in permitting delays.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”)
The federal RCRA and comparable state statutes govern the generation, handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes and require corrective action for releases into the environment. When such wastes are generated in connection with the operations of our facilities, we are subject to regulatory requirements affecting the handling, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of such wastes.
Protection of Species, Habitats and Wetlands
Various federal and state statutes, such as the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the CWA and the Oil Pollution Act, prohibit certain activities that may adversely affect endangered or threatened animal, fish and plant species and/or their designated habitats, wetlands, or other natural resources. If the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal or the Creole Trail Pipeline adversely affect a protected species or its habitat, we may be required to develop and follow a plan to remediate those impacts. In that case, siting, construction or operations may be delayed or restricted and cause us to incur increased costs.
It is not possible at this time to predict how future regulations or legislation may address protection of species, habitats and wetlands and impact our business. However, we do not believe such regulatory actions will have a material adverse effect on our operations, or the construction and operations at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal.
Market Factors and Competition
Market Factors
Our ability to enter into additional long-term SPAs to underpin the development of additional Trains or develop new projects is subject to market factors. These factors include changes in worldwide supply and demand for natural gas, LNG and substitute products, the relative prices for natural gas, crude oil and substitute products in North America and international markets, the extent of energy security needs in the European Union and elsewhere, the rate of fuel switching from coal, nuclear or oil to natural gas and other overarching factors such as global economic growth and the pace of any transition from fossil- based systems of energy production and consumption to alternative energy sources. In addition, our ability to obtain additional funding to execute our business strategy is subject to the investment community’s appetite for investment in LNG and natural gas infrastructure and our ability to access capital markets.
We expect that global demand for natural gas and LNG will continue to increase as nations seek more abundant, reliable and environmentally cleaner fuel alternatives to oil and coal. Market participants around the globe have shown commitments to environmental goals consistent with many policy initiatives that we believe are constructive for LNG demand and infrastructure growth. Currently, significant amounts of money are being invested across Europe and Asia in natural gas projects under construction, and more continues to be earmarked to planned projects globally. In Europe, there are various plans to install more than 75 mtpa of import capacity over the near-term to secure access to LNG and displace Russian gas imports. In India, there are more than 5,600 kilometers of gas pipelines under construction to expand the gas distribution network and increase access to natural gas. And in China, billions of U.S. dollars have already been invested and hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars are expected to be further invested all along the natural gas value chain to enable growth and decrease harmful emissions. Furthermore, some of the existing integrated liquefaction facilities outside of the U.S. have been experiencing issues related to reduced feed gas as a result of depleting upstream resources. Global supply contributions from these plants have been decreasing and LNG supply growth is expected to help support these shortages.
As a result of these dynamics, we expect natural gas and LNG to continue to play an important role in satisfying energy demand going forward. In its forecast published in the third quarter of 2024, Wood Mackenzie Limited (“WoodMac”) forecasted that global demand for LNG would increase by approximately 61%, from approximately 418 mtpa, or 20.1 Tcf, in 2023, to 675 mtpa, or 32.4 Tcf, in 2040 and by approximately 65% to 691 mtpa or 33.1 Tcf in 2050. WoodMac also forecasted LNG production from existing operational facilities and new facilities already under construction would be able to supply the market with approximately 532 mtpa in 2040, declining to 463 mtpa in 2050. This could result in a market need for construction of an additional approximately 142 mtpa of LNG production by 2040 and about 227 mtpa by 2050. As a cleaner burning fuel with lower emissions than coal or liquid fuels in power generation, we expect natural gas and LNG to play a central role in balancing grids, serving as back up for intermittent energy sources and contributing to a low carbon energy system globally. We believe the capital and operating costs of the uncommitted capacity of our Liquefaction Project, as well as our proposed expansion at Sabine Pass is competitive with new proposed projects globally and we are well-positioned to capture a portion of this incremental market need.
As described above under the caption General, we have limited exposure to oil price movements as we have contracted a significant portion of our LNG production capacity under long-term SPAs and IPM agreements, which are structured to generate fixed fees in addition to variable fees indexed to Henry Hub or international LNG pricing. Refer to General for further discussion of our long-term agreements.
Competition
Despite the long term nature of our SPAs, when SPL needs to replace or amend any existing SPA or enter into new SPAs, SPL will compete with other natural gas liquefaction projects throughout the world primarily on the basis of price per contracted volume of LNG at that time, as well as attributes such as commercial innovation, reliable production and customer-focused operations to provide flexible and tailored solutions to LNG buyers. Our competition includes our affiliate Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC (“CCL”), which operates three Trains, and is constructing an additional seven midscale Trains as part of the Corpus Christi Stage 3 Project, at a natural gas liquefaction facility near Corpus Christi, Texas. Revenues associated with any incremental volumes of the Liquefaction Project, including those made available to Cheniere Marketing, will also be subject to market-based price competition.
Corporate Responsibility
As described in Market Factors and Competition, we expect that global demand for natural gas and LNG will continue to increase as nations seek more abundant, reliable and environmentally cleaner fuel alternatives to oil and coal. Our vision is to provide clean, secure and affordable energy to the world. This vision underpins our focus on responding to the world’s shared energy challenges — expanding the global supply of clean, secure and affordable energy, improving air quality, reducing emissions and supporting the transition to a lower-carbon future. Our approach to corporate responsibility is guided by our Climate and Sustainability Principles: Transparency, Science, Supply Chain and Operational Excellence. In August 2024, Cheniere published Energy Secured, Benefits Delivered, its fifth Corporate Responsibility (“CR”) report, which details Cheniere’s approach and progress on ESG matters. Cheniere’s CR report is available at www.cheniere.com/our-responsibility/ reporting-center. Information on Cheniere’s website, including the CR report, is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Cheniere’s climate strategy is to measure and mitigate emissions so that it may better position its LNG supplies to remain competitive in a lower carbon future and provide energy, economic and environmental security to its customers across the world. To maximize the environmental benefits of our LNG, we believe it is important to develop our climate goals and strategies based on an accurate and holistic assessment of the emissions profile of our LNG, accounting for all steps in the supply chain.
Consequently, Cheniere has collaborated with natural gas midstream companies, technology providers and leading academic institutions on life-cycle assessment (“LCA”) models, quantification, monitoring, reporting and verification (“QMRV”) of GHG emissions and other research and development projects. Cheniere also co-founded and sponsored the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab (“EEMDL”), a multidisciplinary research and education initiative led by the University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Mines. In addition, Cheniere commenced providing Cargo Emissions Tags (“CE Tags”) to its long-term customers in June 2022, and in October 2022 joined the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (“OGMP”) 2.0, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (“UNEP”) flagship oil and gas methane emissions reporting and mitigation initiative. To ensure transparency and rigor, Cheniere works with academics and scientists to publish methodologies and results in multiple peer-reviewed journals.
Our total incremental expenditures related to climate initiatives, including capital expenditures, were not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. However, as governments consider and implement actions to reduce GHG emissions and the transition to a lower-carbon economy continues to evolve, as described in Market Factors and Competition, we expect the scope and extent of our future climate and sustainability initiatives to evolve accordingly. While we have not incurred material direct expenditures related to climate change, we are proactive in our management of climate risks and opportunities, including compliance with existing and future government regulations. We face certain business and operational risks associated with physical impacts from climate change, such as exposure to severe weather events or changes in weather patterns, in addition to transition risks. Please see Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional discussion.
Subsidiaries
Substantially all of our assets are held by our subsidiaries. We conduct most of our business through these subsidiaries, including the development, construction, maintenance and operation of our LNG terminal business.
Employees
We have no employees. We rely on our general partner to manage all aspects of the development, construction, operations, maintenance and management of the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and to conduct our business. Because our general partner has no employees, it relies on subsidiaries of Cheniere to provide the personnel necessary to allow it to meet its management obligations to us and our subsidiaries. See Note 13—Related Party Transactions of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of the services agreements with subsidiaries of Cheniere. As of December 31, 2024, Cheniere and its subsidiaries had 1,714 full-time employees, including 501 employees who directly supported the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal operations.
Available Information
Our common units have been publicly traded since March 21, 2007 and are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CQP.” Our principal executive offices are located at 845 Texas Avenue, Suite 1250, Houston, Texas 77002, and our telephone number is (713) 375-5000. Our internet address is www.cheniere.com. We provide public access to our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those materials with, or furnish those materials to, the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the“Exchange Act”). These reports may be accessed free of charge through our internet website. We make our website content available for informational purposes only. The website should not be relied upon for investment purposes and is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.
We will also make available to any unitholder, without charge, copies of our annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC. For copies of this, or any other filing, please contact: Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P, Investor Relations Department, 845 Texas Avenue, Suite 1250, Houston, Texas 77002 or call (713) 375-5000. The SEC maintains an internet site (www.sec.gov) that contains reports and other information regarding issuers.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.