Port of Lake Charles Commissioners on Wednesday approved an option for a long-term lease agreement on 108 acres with Magnolia LNG, an Australian-based energy company that plans to build a $2.2 billion export facility that will produce 4 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year.

Magnolia LNG will be located adjacent to Calcasieu Point Landing on the Industrial Canal and across from the 200-acre G2X Energy site. Construction is expected to begin in 2015, pending construction and federal permits.

Maurice Brand, Magnolia LNG managing director and joint chief executive director, said the project will create 70 to 80 new permanent jobs and an estimated 400 construction jobs.

“The Port of Lake Charles has been able to provide a unique combination of location, infrastructure and transportation capabilities to help bring this project to the region,” Port Executive Director Bill Rase said in a news release. “Magnolia LNG will be a significant and welcome addition to Southwest Louisiana’s energy corridor. The port’s staff and board of commissioners look forward to doing business with the company.”

The Port of Lake Charles encompasses 203 square miles in Louisiana and owns and operates two marine terminals and two industrial parks and is the fourteenth-busiest seaport district in the U.S. according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. For more information on the Port of Lake Charles, visit www.portlc.com or call 337-493-3513.