JAX LNG and Seaside LNG achieved a significant milestone last month by conducting the inaugural liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering at the Port of Savannah for CMA CGM SYMI. The operation took place during the vessel’s call at the Garden City Terminal. The CMA CGM SYMI, a 15,000-TEU container ship, received approximately 4,600 cubic meters of LNG from North America’s largest LNG articulated tug and barge (ATB), the Clean Canaveral, all while engaging in simultaneous operations (SIMOPS).
Roger Williams, Manager of JAX LNG and Vice President of Commercial LNG and Gas Development at BHE GT&S, the parent company of Pivotal LNG, acknowledged the collaborative effort, stating: “We appreciate the opportunity to work alongside CMA CGM staff in Marseille, Norfolk, and Savannah in preparation for this unique LNG bunker event that marked CMA CGM’s first LNG SIMOPS bunkering of a 15,000-TEU ship in the United States.”
The bunkering also signifies Seaside LNG’s First LNG bunkering of a dual-fuel container ship with membrane-type LNG tank technology, highlighting the efficient design of Seaside LNG’s 5,500-cubic-meter series LNG ATB.
Tim Casey, CEO of Seaside LNG, also commended the operator’s great work, saying: “The ATB design and skillful operator, McAllister LNG Services, have proven to be very resourceful in bunkering container ships, car carriers, cruise ships, and petroleum tankers with different cargo tank technologies.”
This inaugural bunkering marked multiple collaborative milestones and continues to demonstrate the viability of LNG as a marine fuel in the U.S. This safe and successful bunkering is a testament to the unparalleled support and coordination of all the Savannah Port Stakeholders, including U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Savannah, Georgia Ports Authority, Garden City Fire Rescue, Savannah Fire Department, Savannah Pilots Association, Gateway Terminals, and the International Longshoremen’s Association.
About JAX LNG
JAX LNG is a joint venture between Seaside LNG and Pivotal LNG, a subsidiary of BHE GT&S, operating a 360,000-gallon-per-day LNG plant with 4 million gallons of storage located in Jacksonville, FL. The LNG facility was constructed in 2018 to bring liquefied natural gas to the southeast U.S. and Puerto Rico. JAX LNG has access to two Jones Act LNG bunker barges, the Clean Canaveral, and Clean Everglades, to serve multiple customers in various ports in the southeast United States.
About Pivotal LNG
Pivotal LNG provides liquefied natural gas production, transportation, and delivery services, offering a number of reliable, flexible, and cost-effective customer solutions. Pivotal LNG owns and operates the Towanda LNG facility in Pennsylvania, the Trussville LNG facility in Alabama, and has a 50% ownership of the JAX LNG facility in Florida. The company has more than forty years of experience and is a leader in providing clean, alternative energy solutions to industries throughout the United States – from power generation and manufacturing to marine transportation and heavy-duty trucking. Pivotal LNG is majority-owned by BHE GT&S in partnership with REV LNG.
About Seaside LNG
Seaside LNG provides LNG production and maritime transportation logistics to meet the growing demand for LNG, a cleaner alternative fuel, to customers in the maritime, aerospace, and transportation industries. Seaside owns 50% of JAX LNG, a small-scale (360,000 gallons/day) LNG production facility operating two trains in Jacksonville, Florida, and a 100% ownership stake in an LNG bunkering barge operation through Polaris New Energy (PNE).
PNE, the bunkering arm of Seaside LNG, maintains the largest fleet of Jones Act-compliant bunkering vessels in the U.S., including Clean Canaveral, Clean Jacksonville and tug Polaris, and Clean Everglades and tug Tortuga. PNE’s bunkering operation is compatible with several vessel types, including cruise ships, container ships, tankers, and car carriers. Seaside continues to pioneer the buildout of LNG bunkering in the U.S. and looks to continue to grow its market-leading geographic reach and Jones Act LNG barge fleet to additional ports soon. In October 2023, Seaside welcomed its newest barge, the Clean Everglades.
Source Pivotal LNG