Firebird LNG Terminal
| Part of the Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
Firebird LNG Terminal, also known as Port of Nickerie LNG, is a shelved LNG export terminal in Suriname.
Location
Table 1: Location details
| Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Firebird LNG Terminal | Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname[1][2][3] | 5.967844, -56.990446 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the terminal:
Project Details
Table 2: Infrastructure details
| Name | Facility type | Status | Capacity | Total terminal capacity | Offshore | Associated infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firebird LNG Terminal | export[3] | proposed[4][5][6] | 2.7 mtpa[7][8] | 2.7 mtpa | False | – |
Table 3: Cost
| Name | Facility type | Cost | Total known terminal costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firebird LNG Terminal | export[3] | US$5,400,000,000[1] | US$5,400,000,000 |
Financing
No financing data available.
Table 4: Project timeline
| Name | Facility type | Status | Proposal year | FID year | Construction year | Operating year | Inactive year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firebird LNG Terminal | export[3] | proposed[4][5][6] | 2021[4][5][6] | 2024 (Pre-FID)[9] | – | –[8][9][8][9] | – |
Ownership
Table 5: Ownership
| Name | Facility type | Status | Owners | Parent companies | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firebird LNG Terminal | export[3] | proposed[4][5][6] | Firebird LNG [100%][3] | MAD Energy; Phoenix Development Holding Co | – |
Background
Firebird LNG proposed the terminal in 2021 as a means to sell natural gas that was being flared offshore in oil and gas production facilities. The CEO of Firebird LNG noted the developers were aiming for the end of 2024 as a startup year for the facility, to capitalize on increased global demand. The terminal was to be the centerpiece of a planned offshore gas hub.[10]
Plans called for the facility to be located onshore, gathering gas from offshore extraction areas in the Guyana–Suriname basin.[10]
Early reports indicated that the Firebird LNG terminal had already reached FID by August 2022[10], and multiple sources initially projected a 2024 start-up date for the project.[10][11]
However, as of May 2023 the project's developers reportedly remained in the early stages of consulting with stakeholders, while working through the ESIA (environmental and social impact assessment) process.[12]
As of September 2024 there was no indication that the project had moved beyond the permitting stage, despite an April 2024 report from the Gas Exporting Countries Forum that identified the target FID date as 2024.[13] FirebirdLNG's website indicated that the project would begin operating 28 months after FID, implying a start-up date no earlier than 2026.[14]
In late 2024 and early 2025, several Surinamese and Dutch news outlets published articles raising concerns about the progress of the Port of Nickerie project.[15][16][17][18] With headlines such as “Port of Nickerie Struggling to Get Off the Ground: Delays and Doubts about Realization” and “Deepwater Port of Suriname Falters as Dutch Support Withers,” the reports noted that there had been no significant developments since 2023 regarding the construction of the LNG terminal.[15][16][17][18] The articles also highlighted the withdrawal of key stakeholders, including the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Van Oord.[15][16][17][18] Despite these setbacks, NV Havenbeheer, another company involved in the project, maintained that the development was still ongoing.[15][16][17][18]
Suriname's president and the Port of Rotterdam issued statements in January and February 2025, respectively, indicating that the Firebird LNG project and its associated Nickerie deep sea port would not be moving forward.[19][20] An October 2025 article described Firebird LNG as a "stalled" project whose owners had resorted to selling off equipment to Texas-based Fermi LLC[21], a sale later confirmed in a separate regulatory filing.[22] The project had reportedly been plagued with uncertainty well before 2025, with Suriname's state oil company Staatsolie said to be unwilling to move ahead absent clear answers on the source of the gas supply, the buyers for the LNG, and a preliminary terminal design.[23][24]
In the absence of further news, the project was presumed to be shelved.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://oilnow.gy/featured/mega-lng-deep-water-port-for-suriname-up-for-environmental-authorisation/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/environmental-permitting-begins-for-suriname-lng-port-hub.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://www.naturalgasworld.com/phoenix-advances-firebird-lng-project-in-suriname-100050.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 https://portofnickerie.com/en/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 https://localcontentsuriname.com/nieuwsbericht/port-of-nickerie-komt-moeizaam-van-de-grond-vertragingen-en-twijfels-over-realisatie/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 https://unitednews.sr/port-of-nickerie-komt-niet-van-de-grond/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.lngindustry.com/special-reports/03082022/firebird-lng-project-now-fully-funded/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 https://www.firebirdlng.com/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 (PDF) https://www.gecf.org/_resources/files/events/gecf-unveils-the-annual-gas-market-report-2024/gecf-agmr-2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Phoenix advances Firebird LNG project in Suriname". Natural Gas World. 2022-08-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Firebird LNG project now fully funded". LNG Industry. 2022-08-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Suriname LNG developers kickstart process for environmental authorisation". OilNOW. 2023-05-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "GECF Annual Gas Market Report 2024 (p 108)" (PDF). GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum). 2024-04-22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-08-28.
- ↑ "FirebirdLNG". FirebirdLNG. Archived from the original on 2026-03-12. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Atmo, Jennifer (2025-02-21). "Diepwaterhaven Suriname wankelt nu Nederlandse steun wegvalt". Diepwaterhaven Suriname wankelt nu Nederlandse steun wegvalt (in Nederlands). Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 "Port of Nickerie Komt Moeizaam van de Grond: Vertragingen en Twijfels Over Realisatie • Local Content Suriname (LCDO)". Local Content Suriname (LCDO) (in Nederlands). Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 patrick (2024-11-06). "PORT OF NICKERIE KOMT NIET VAN DE GROND - United News". United News. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Snijders, Armand. "Havenbedrijf Rotterdam stopt met diepwaterhaven Suriname". Schuttevaer.nl (in Nederlands). Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ↑ Nickerie deep sea port announced with much fanfare is off the table for the time being, Dagblad Suriname, January 15, 2025.
- ↑ Port of Rotterdam Authority to stop with deepwater port Suriname, Schuttevaer News Headliner, February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Rick Perry's AI power startup Fermi already has a $16 billion market cap—and zero revenue, Fortune, October 10, 2025.
- ↑ "Membership Interest Purchase Agreement Dated as of July 29, 2025 by and among Fermi Equipment Holdco, LLC, Fermi LLC, Firebird LNG, LLC and the Equityholder of Firebird LNG, LLC". US Securities & Exchange Commission. 2025-07-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Direkteur Staatsolie over controverse rond Phoenix Development I SUN WEB TV I". Suriname Nieuws Centrale. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Direkteur Staatsolie over controverse rond Phoenix Development". Sun Web TV. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of LNG terminals, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Gas Infrastructure Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
