US marine, and energy company Crowley has launched a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier to transport LNG to the energy company Naturgy in Puerto Rico.
Florida-based Crowley’s American Energy carrier is the first US vessel to transport LNG to Puerto Rico, it said. It has the capacity to carry 130,400 cubic metres of natural gas each trip.
The new vessel has a CAP 1 rating, certifying its safety and compliance.
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón described the news as a significant step for fuel reliability in Puerto Rico.
“This partnership is an initiative to act using existing regulations to increase access to a US-based LNG source that expands our options for the stabilisation of the energy grid,” he said
Crowley puts more than 94 million gallons of LNG annually through its LNG terminal in Penuelas in Puerto Rico. It also provides ocean delivery and land transportation using ISO tank containers.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (IEA), North America’s LNG export capacity is on track to more than double between 2024 and 2028, from 11.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2023 to 24.4 Bcf/d in 2028, if projects under construction come onstream as planned.
