GDF Suez to send U.S. LNG to Taiwanese market

French energy company GDF Suez said Friday it signed an agreement with counterparts in Taiwan to deliver liquified natural gas sourced from the United States.

Under the terms of an agreement with CPC Corp. of Taiwan, GDF Suez will deliver 800,000 tons of LNG from the Cameron export facility in Louisiana for a 20-year period starting in 2018.

"This sales agreement, the first of its kind, will contribute to export natural gas, including shale gas produced in the United States, to the global LNG market and will contribute to diversification and security of energy supply," Jean-Marie Dauger, executive vice president at GDF Suez, said in a statement.

Asian economies are taking on more oil and natural gas to meet their growing demands. Dauger said his company is one of the first to move ahead with gas exports from the U.S. to the Asian market.

There was no statement on the deal from the Taiwanese company. Taiwan, an island nation, is limited in terms of pipeline options for natural gas.

The U.S. Department of Energy in February gave its approval for exports from the Cameron LNG terminal to countries that don't have a free-trade agreement with the United States.

There are more than 20 applications pending for non-FTA exports of LNG. The federal government needs to weigh such projects against the public's interest before giving its consent.