ECA LNG Phase 1 loads first cargo on Mexico's Pacific Coast

Sempra's ECA LNG plant ships first cargo from Mexico's Pacific Coast

ECA LNG Phase 1 in Ensenada, Mexico, shipped its first LNG cargo, on track to be the first liquefaction plant on Mexico's Pacific Coast.

By Global Energy Report staff·9 Jul 2026, 08:00·1 min read

The Sabine Pass LNG export terminal, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0. File photo, not taken at this announcement.

Sempra Infrastructure's ECA LNG Phase 1 plant in Ensenada, Mexico, loaded and shipped its first cargo of liquefied natural gas on July 8, 2026, marking a milestone on the way to full commercial operations. Sempra Infrastructure is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE).

Once commercial operations begin, ECA LNG Phase 1 will be the first LNG liquefaction plant on Mexico's Pacific Coast. Sempra Infrastructure said the site gives shippers the shortest sea route from North America to Asia and other Pacific Basin markets, cutting transportation time, cost and uncertainty for buyers of U.S. natural gas.

The plant is a joint venture with TotalEnergies and holds a single liquefaction train, the processing line that cools natural gas into liquid form for export, with nameplate capacity of 3.25 million tonnes per annum. Long-term sale and purchase agreements with TotalEnergies and Mitsui & Co. back the project. Sempra Infrastructure expects substantial completion this summer, with sales under those agreements starting shortly after commercial operations begin.

A second, larger phase is already under development at the same Ensenada site, the company said. ECA LNG is part of Sempra Infrastructure's dual-coast strategy, which also includes projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Sempra Infrastructure CEO Justin Bird called the shipment the start of "a new and reliable source of natural gas" for customers worldwide. TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said the start-up "strengthens the quality of our integrated LNG portfolio in North America."

Why it matters

The cargo gives Sempra Infrastructure and TotalEnergies a working Pacific Coast outlet for U.S. natural gas headed to Asia, on what the company says is the shortest sea route from North America. TotalEnergies and Mitsui already hold the long-term offtake, so the main task now is reaching full commercial operations on schedule this summer.

What's next. Watch for Sempra Infrastructure to confirm substantial completion and the start of commercial operations, when sales under the TotalEnergies and Mitsui agreements begin. The larger second phase at the same Ensenada site is still in development.

Sources

PrimarySempra · sempra.com

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