TOTE Maritime’s LNG supplier gets the green light for LNG facility and barge-to-ship bunkering
TOTE Maritime's JAX LNG has received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the operation of their waterfront LNG facility and the approval to conduct barge-to-ship LNG bunkering operations with TOTE Maritime’s Marlin Class ships and its LNG barge, Clean Jacksonville, TOTE said in a press release.
Entering service in late 2015 and early 2016 respectively, to date the Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe have used an innovative truck-to-ship bunkering operation. Barge-to-ship LNG bunkering is scheduled to commence in early 2018.
In October 2015, TOTE Maritime and its partner JAX LNG received their first LOA from the USCG establishing an industry first landside LNG bunkering facility in the Port of Jacksonville. Since then, the Marlin Class vessels have safely received more than 18,000,000 gallons of LNG through the truck-to-ship bunkering process, demonstrating the ability to safely transfer LNG time and time again. “TOTE Maritime is committed to safety above all else. Thanks to the commitment of our partner, JAX LNG, we have developed strong standards for landside LNG bunkering that will continue to be the hallmark of our barge-to-ship bunkering operations” noted Peter Keller, Executive Vice President of TOTE.
TOTE has worked with a number of partners to develop state-of-the-art operations that are currently in use at the Port of Jacksonville. In addition to JAX LNG, TOTE has collaborated with the United States Coast Guard, specifically Sector Jacksonville and the Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise; Jacksonville Fire Department, Port of Jacksonville, American Bureau of Shipping and numerous vendors and trade associations. This collaboration has been central to the success of the truck-to-ship bunkering operations and will play a critical role in the next phase. Tim Nolan, President of TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico highlighted “TOTE’s Marlin Class vessels are the first containerships in the world to be powered by LNG. This required groundbreaking LNG bunkering operations that have helped set national as well as global standards. Our ability to safely and efficiently introduce these ships into the Puerto Rico trade so that the people of both Florida and Puerto Rico could realize the environmental benefits of this superior maritime fuel was directly tied to the support and partnerships developed along the way.”
About TOTE Maritime
TOTE Maritime is a division of TOTE and provides unparalleled service to the Alaska and Puerto Rico markets. In 2015, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico introduced the world’s first LNG powered containership into the Puerto Rico trade followed closely by a second ship in early 2016. These vessels offer state of the art lift-on, lift-off capabilities and are the most advanced in the trade. TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL offers integrated transportation services to and from the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Company operations are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 28000 and Green Office standards.
About Pivotal LNG
Pivotal LNG is part of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Pivotal LNG provides liquefied natural gas to companies and industries throughout the United States through reliable, flexible and cost-effective solutions.
About Northstar Midstream
NorthStar Midstream is a responsive midstream energy transportation company led by a customer-focused and experienced executive team. It was formed in 2014 through a partnership between NorthStar and Oaktree. NorthStar leverages Oaktree’s Capital’s resources and expertise to generate long-term value for its customers.