LNG Fuel terminal planned in Jacksonville

   Clean Energy Fuels Corp. said last week that it has placed a purchase contract on property in Jacksonville, Fla., where it hopes to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel terminal.
   Clean Energy said it would be the first LNG facility on the Eastern seaboard to specifically supply LNG for the maritime, heavy-duty trucking and rail industries. The planned facility is the first project to be developed by Eagle LNG Partners, the recently-announced consortium of Clean Energy, GE Ventures, GE Energy Financial Services and Ferus Natural Gas Fuels, formed to jointly deliver the cleaner-burning, less-costly fuel in the United States.
   “Establishing LNG capacity in Jacksonville is a critical strategic effort to enable LNG fueling throughout the Southeast region for our various market segments,” said Brian Powers, vice president of LNG production at Clean Energy. “This Eagle LNG Partners project could establish the Port of Jacksonville as a leader in maritime natural gas fueling and support the shipping industry as it follows other transportation segments in transitioning to natural gas.”
   Sea Star Line, which operates a service that connects Jacksonville and Port Everglades on the mainland with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is building two new 3,100-TEU containerships that can be powered with LNG and plans to refuel its ships in Jacksonville.
   Located on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Clean Energy said its facility will have the capability to produce approximately 300,000 gallons of LNG per day to support anticipated increases in maritime and rail use and bolster supply for trucking fleets operating throughout the Southeast United States.