Oaktree Capital Management-backed NorthStar and its partner Pivotal LNG, a unit of BHE GT&S, will later this year welcome a new bunkering barge at their expanded JAX LNG production facility in Jacksonville, Florida.
The duo is working to increase the facility’s production capability three times to 360,000 gallons per day but also double LNG storage capacity to four million gallons.
They still expect to launch the expanded facility in the fourth quarter of this year, according to NorthStar.
The JAX LNG facility has been in service since the fourth quarter of 2018 and, through its integrated marine loading dock, it completed more than 150 deliveries of LNG to North America’s first bunkering barge, Clean Jacksonville, NorthStar said.
In addition, the facility serves other customers in the shipping, over-the-road trucking and aerospace segments.
“With the excellent support we have from our construction contractors, we are excited to commence our expanded operations, particularly for our new anchor customer beginning its LNG-powered voyages in 2022,” said Tim Casey, senior vice president LNG for NorthStar.
US-based Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is also moving forward with the construction of the LNG bunkering barge for NorthStar Midstream’s unit Polaris New Energy.
The 5,400-cbm barge Clean Canaveral would begin service by the fourth quarter of this year, according to NorthStar.
“The expansion of JAX LNG and the construction of the Clean Canaveral will allow us to supply our existing customers, take on new customers and deliver LNG to points anywhere from Savannah, Georgia to Miami, Florida,” Casey said.
Moreover, NorthStar, through a newly formed entity named Seaside LNG, recently closed on a $137 million debt financing facility supporting its interest in JAX LNG and Polaris New Energy.
The firm will use the proceeds to fund the JAX LNG expansion and the ATB, it said.