Seaside LNG Performs US Gulf Coast's First Ship-to-ship LNG Bunkering

Seaside LNG announced its liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville delivered fuel to Carnival cruise ship Carnival Jubilee in Galveston, Texas, marking the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering delivery along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The bunkering operation took place on December 30, 2023, after months of careful coordination with all parties involved, including the Port of Galveston, Seaside LNG said.

The 2,200 cubic meter bunkering barge Clean Jacksonville, previously stationed in Florida, was moved to operate out of Galveston and serve the Texas Gulf Coast following Seaside LNG's bunkering deal with Carnival Corporation announced in November 2023. The Clean Jacksonville, delivered from Texas' Conrad Orange Shipyard in 2018, has completed more than 350 bunkering operations to date, according to Seaside LNG.

Replacing the barge in Florida in is the newest member of the Seaside LNG fleet, the 5,500 cubic meter capacity Clean Everglades. The articulated tug barge (ATB) was delivered from Sturgeon Bay, Wis. shipbuilder Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in October 2023 and made its first delivery last week to containership Isla Bella at the TOTE Maritime’s terminal near Jacksonville, Fla.

TOTE has a long-term service contract with Seaside’s maritime transportation company, Polaris New Energy. In addition, TOTE Services acts as Seaside’s operating partner for both the Clean Jacksonville and Clean Everglades.

“The Seaside LNG team is excited to start 2024 off strong with these two deliveries. We appreciate the trust our customers put in us to arrange these important fueling operations. We also recognize TOTE Services for their contributions as a reliable operating partner.” said Tim Casey, CEO of Seaside LNG. “As the demand for LNG as a cleaner maritime fuel continues to grow, our team and barge fleet are ready to deliver.”

Seaside LNG took delivery of its new LNG bunkering barge Clean Everglades in 2023. (Photo: Seaside LNG)