Ocean Point starts STS transfer of LNG in the Caribbean

Terminal operator Ocean Point Terminals has collaborated with US-based energy company New Fortress Energy to launch ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations of LNG in St. Croix.

PHOTO: An aerial view of Ocean Point’s dock facilities in St. Croix. Ocean Point

Ocean Point supplied the first LNG carrier at its Dock 8 facility last week, marking the start of operations. LNG carriers will be moored for transfers on a temporary basis there until a permanent operation is developed in Dock 6 later this year.

The start of operations follows a three-year process to develop infrastructure and enable “LNG carriers to be moored at Ocean Point’s facility for ship-to-ship transfers.”

The LNG will be transferred from large “supply vessels” to smaller “shuttle ships” for redistribution across the Atlantic region, Ocean Point says.

“This project significantly increases access to affordable, reliable, clean LNG fuel in the region to accelerate the regional energy transition,” Ocean Point’s chief executive Todd Dillabough adds.

LNG has been gaining popularity among shipowners. The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 399 vessels, with another 145 expected to join this year, according to classification society DNV data.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. But its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a GHG compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Tuhin Roy

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