Global LNG Capacity Tracker

This tracker monitors final investment decisions (FIDs) for new LNG export projects and provides data on liquefaction capacity additions through 2030, based on projects under construction as of 2025 and the latest ramp-up schedules. Between 2025 and 2030, around 345 bcm/yr of new LNG export capacity is set to come online from projects that had already reached FID and were under construction as of 2025, marking the largest wave of capacity additions to date. The pace and scale of this buildout could shift due to geopolitical events, construction delays, new project FIDs and other uncertainties. The trajectory of this LNG wave will have significant implications for the global gas market balance, and this tracker offers an up-to-date view of anticipated global LNG capacity growth.

The LNG business is highly cyclical, and liquefaction capacity additions tend to come in waves due to the capital-intensive nature of LNG projects and the long time lag of 4 to 5 years, on average, between project FID and completion. The global gas market is now on the verge of a new wave of LNG supply, driven by a surge in final investment decisions (FIDs) since 2019. This was interrupted only briefly in 2020 due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. With over 100 bcm/yr of new liquefaction capacity sanctioned, 2025 marked the highest year for LNG FIDs on record. The investment cycle has continued into 2026, with three projects in the United States (Phase 2 of CP2 LNG, Commonwealth LNG  and Delfin FLNG 1, representing a combined 31 bcm/yr of nameplate capacity) reaching FID though early June 2026.

Between 2019 and June 2026, more than 450 bcm/yr of LNG export capacity reached FID, averaging over 55 bcm/yr of new capacity annually. This is more than double the average annual rate of capacity approvals during the 2014–2018 period.

The United States has been the dominant driver of LNG liquefaction project FIDs, accounting for nearly 60% of the total since 2019. Qatar is a distant second with around 15%, while the remaining roughly 25% is spread across more than a dozen suppliers in the Middle East, Africa, North America, South America, Asia Pacific, and Russia.

In recent years, the geographic distribution of LNG FIDs has shifted markedly. In 2022–2023, FIDs were dominated by North America, which accounted for three-quarters of sanctioned capacity. This was led by the United States, which alone represented 70% of total FIDs, thanks to record-high prices and strong buyer interest in securing additional capacity from a flexible supplier. In 2024, by contrast, more than 70% of LNG FIDs were taken in the Middle East, while the United States recorded no final investment decisions. This reflected a combination of cost inflation, concerns about medium-term market oversupply, and a temporary pause on LNG permit approvals. In 2025, new LNG FIDs returned to the United States following the lifting of the permitting pause in January. During the year, the United States once again dominated final investment decisions, accounting for more than 90% of the total. With over 83 bcm/yr of new capacity sanctioned, 2025 marked a record year for US LNG FIDs. All FIDs taken in 2026 to date, representing more than 31 bcm/yr of nameplate capacity, have also come from the United States.

Between 2025 and 2030, a total of around 345 bcm/yr of new LNG export capacity is expected to come online from projects that had already reached FID and were under construction at the start of 2025. This represents the largest LNG capacity wave in any comparable period in the history of LNG markets. This figure excludes capacity additions from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project (27 bcm/yr) and Qatar’s North Field West expansion (22 bcm/yr) — projects that have been approved but are not progressing toward normal commercial operation.

In the case of Arctic LNG 2, sanctions have restricted the regular delivery of commercial cargoes from the already completed Train 1, significantly slowed the construction of Train 2 (which was ultimately completed in May 2025 but remains similarly constrained by sanctions), and led the developer to place the terminal’s third liquefaction train on hold indefinitely. Qatar’s North Field West expansion project was approved for development in 2024, but no final investment decision or construction activity has been formally announced to date.

Mozambique LNG (18 bcm/yr) declared force majeure and suspended construction between 2021 and 2025 due to an armed insurgency near the project site. However, in November 2025, the project partners lifted the force majeure declaration, and construction officially resumed in January 2026, with first LNG now targeted for 2029. As a result, Mozambique LNG has re-entered the pipeline of projects expected to contribute to the next wave of global LNG supply growth.

In March 2026, QatarEnergy declared force majeure and halted all LNG production following military attacks on the Ras Laffan facility amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Two of the plant’s 14 existing liquefaction trains – representing 12.8 mtpa (17.4 bcm/yr) of capacity – suffered extensive damage and are expected to require 3 to 5 years to repair. The company also indicated that the start-up of the North Field East expansion project would most likely be delayed, potentially by over a year from its earlier end-2026 target date, although the extent of the delay remains uncertain and will depend on the duration of the conflict.

Based on the latest ramp-up schedules, annual liquefaction capacity additions from post-FID projects are expected to progressively increase from around 35 bcm/yr in 2025 to a peak of around 95 bcm/yr in 2028, before gradually declining in 2029 and 2030. Geopolitical disruptions – including those related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East – as well as further project delays, new FIDs, or progress on already approved but currently inactive projects, such as Qatar’s North Field West, could materially alter the trajectory of the capacity buildout. At the same time, legacy LNG projects in countries like Australia, Nigeria, and Indonesia are expected to reduce their output in the coming years, partially offsetting the strong supply growth from new projects.