US LNG firm New Fortress Energy has launched a new liquefied natural gas import terminal in the port of Pichilingue in Mexico’s Baja California Sur state.
Wes Edens-led NFE said it would host an event featuring state and local officials at the new LNG facility on Friday.
The introduction of natural gas into the Baja California Sur market would help enable more energy efficiency, cost savings and emissions reductions as it displaces oil-based fuels, according to NFE.
Moreover, the terminal features NFE’s proprietary ISOFlex system, which allows larger LNG carrier vessels to transload LNG into ISO storage containers on offshore support vessels (OSVs) with a specialized manifold.
“These ISO storage containers can be easily offloaded at container ports and onto trucks, which enables the reduction of time, permitting requirements and capital costs for the development of NFE’s terminals,” the firm said.
Power plants
Under a deal signed in March, NFE will supply natural gas to the CTG La Paz and CTG Baja California Sur power plants in Baja California Sur through the new terminal.
CFEnergia, the plant operator and a unit of Mexico’s state-run electric utility, the Federal Electricity Commission, will get about 250,000-500,000 gallons of LNG (20,000-40,000 MMBtu) per day.
Besides the power plants, the new terminal’s truck loading operations will supply LNG to local hotels and industrial customers.
NFE said that the first industrial customers in Los Cabos would begin operations with natural gas in the next two months.
Additionally, NFE said it has nearly completed construction of its own gas-fired power plant in Baja California Sur with a capacity of about 135 megawatts.
This unit should begin operations and the supply of power to the local grid later this quarter.