CAMERON - A 500-acre expansion has been announced for a planned liquefied natural gas plant in Cameron Parish.

The American Press reports that officials of G2 LNG say they plan the expansion because of growing interest among potential customers.

The Baton Rouge-based company announced in October 2015 that it planned to build an $11 billion LNG plant on 766 acres in Cameron. Once the land for the expansion is secured, the facility will cover 1,266 acres on the west side of the Calcasieu (KAL'-kah-shoo) Ship Channel.

The company's president, Thomas Hudson, said last week that construction is expected to start in 2018. He said the first delivery of LNG is expected in late 2022.

The project is expected to generate roughly 3,500 construction jobs and more than 250 permanent jobs.