Crowley Puerto Rico Services, Inc. has selected Eagle LNG Partners (Eagle LNG) as the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-supplier for the company’s new LNG-powered, Commitment Class ships, which will be delivered in 2017 for use in the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico trade. To support Crowley’s LNG needs, Eagle LNG will build a natural gas liquefaction plant (LNG plant) offering a capacity of 200,000 gallons per day (87,000 gallons per day initially) in Jacksonville. The state-of-the-art facility is slated to be operational by early 2017.
The decision to partner with Eagle LNG was made by Crowley in part because of the companies’ shared commitment to the environment.
The supply agreement between Eagle LNG and Crowley will provide LNG fuel for the ElConquiand Taino, which are expected to be in service in the second quarter and fourth quarter of 2017 respectively. The Jones Act ships will replace Crowley’s towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the trade continuously and with distinction since the early 1970s. These new ships, will offer customers fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company’s diverse equipment selection and cargo handling flexibility – benefits customers have enjoyed for nearly 60 years. The LNG plant is separate from the previously announced Eagle LNG Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) export terminal located along the St. Johns River, in Jacksonville, which will continue to focus on export markets in the Caribbean and Atlantic Basin.