Port Authority explores setting up an LNG Bunkering operation

The establishment of a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) power plant at Crabbes
Peninsula is already bringing other benefits to Antigua and Barbuda.
As word spread about the facility which is likely to become operational within the
next few months, one of the benefits of having the LNG plant here is that cruise
and cargo ship operators are actively making inquiries about the possibility of
bunkering their vessels with LNG here in Antigua.
The disclosure comes from the General Manager of the Antigua Port Authority,
Darwin Telemaque, who explained that adding this service to the port’s operation
adds much to its overall marketability.
“What makes a port attractive is its marketability. So the spinoff effect of having
an LNG-powered plant, is that several of the cruise lines such as AIDSA, P&O,
Carnival, and MSC as well as shipping lines such as Tropical and Crowley are all
asking about being able to refuel with LNG in the near future,” Telemaque
disclosed.
He further explained that many of the cruise lines and the cargo ship operators are
moving away from heavy fuel-powered plants to a mix of renewable energy and
LNG, which is a much cleaner fuel. In fact, according to the port general manager,
one shipping line, Crowley, is moving away completely from heavy fuel to LNG to
power its ships.
Additionally, Antigua and Barbuda will be the only country in the Eastern
Caribbean where this fuel will be available. “Only Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago currently have LNG terminals. This means that Antigua and Barbuda, with
its location in the ‘heart of the Caribbean,’ is strategically located to serve the
needs of shipping traversing the Caribbean,” he noted.
The availability of LNG fuel in Antigua and Barbuda is also coming at a time
when concerns over the environmental impact of heavy fossil fuel, have reached
the point where some ports are asking ships to use sure power in their harbours
rather than their power so as to reduce carbon emissions.