JAX LNG, a small-scale LNG facility located along the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, recently completed the first bunkering of a marine vessel in the United States with a blend of LNG and bio-LNG. JAX LNG loaded the blend into the Clean Jacksonville bunker barge to fuel the Isla Bella, world’s first LNG-powered container ship put into service by TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in 2015.
Element Markets supplied the renewable natural gas used to produce the bio-LNG via renewable thermal certificates (RTCs). Using bio-LNG to fuel marine vessels is a readily available pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050. Its emissions profile as a maritime fuel is superior even to that of LNG, which already reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% over ultra-low sulfur diesel. For this bunkering event, RTCs were matched to the physical LNG loaded into the Clean Jacksonville to create the blended product.
JAX LNG is the long-term supplier to the two LNG-fueled container vessels—the Isla Bella and the Perla del Caribe—that TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico utilizes to reliably transport goods between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.
“We’re proud to partner with JAX LNG, which has continued to solidify its position as the industry leader in the clean fuel revolution,” said Mike Noone, President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico. “Renewable natural gas is a clean, drop-in fuel source that can be readily deployed for use today, since it needs no new equipment to capture or transport it.”
“We are always looking for ways to meet the energy needs of our customers and help them reduce their environmental footprint,” said Roger Williams, VP Commercial LNG and Gas Development at BHE GT&S, the parent company of Pivotal LNG, which holds 50% ownership of JAX LNG. “TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico has always been at the forefront of the shipping industry in that regard. We are proud that this bunkering event can serve as an example of what is possible in the realm of renewable natural gas and look to further expand on this success.”
Source: Pivotal LNG
