Pilot LNG and Libra Group’s maritime unit Seapath filed applications with the United States Army Corps of Engineers seeking authorization to build and operate their planned LNG bunkering facility in Galveston, Texas.
The partners said in January that they signed a lease agreement with the City of Texas City for 140 acres of land on Shoal Point in Galveston County.
Pilot and Seapath claim the Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP) project will be the region’s first dedicated LNG bunker terminal to provide LNG as marine fuel.
GLBP has filed key regulatory applications with relevant government agencies, including the USACE for the Clean Water Act and Rivers & Harbors Act, Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) for the Texas Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality Certification, and the US Coast Guard (USCG) for Waterway Suitability Assessment.
The USACE application for the proposed project includes two natural gas liquefaction trains capable of producing about 600,000 gallons per day of LNG; two 3-million-gallon full containment LNG storage tanks; natural gas liquids and refrigerant storage; feed gas pre-treatment facilities; a bunker vessel loading berth, and associated marine and loading facilities.
Pilot and Seapath announced the LNG bunkering project in September last year.
The two firms said that they will initially invest about $150 million in the dedicated LNG bunkering facility in the US Gulf Coast.
Pilot and Seapath previously said they anticipate announcing the final investment decision (FID) details of the GLBP project by the second half of 2024, with operations starting in late 2026.
The final investment decision to proceed with construction is contingent upon completing required commercial agreements, acquiring all necessary permits and approvals, and securing financing commitments, they said in the new statement.
