Source: JAX LNG
Aerial view of the JAX LNG facility located near Dames Point, Jacksonville, pictured in 2019
The expansion is expected to be ready by early 2022 and will support a new long-term LNG supply agreement with a major maritime company for its dual-fuelled ships.
Construction of the liquefaction expansion is underway, led by New Braunfels, Texas-based Salof Ltd, which delivers modular carbon dioxide, liquefied petroleum gas, LNG liquefaction pants and low-temperature process refrigeration systems to customers.
Robert Luhrs, President of Salof, stated, “Our approach to natural gas facilities ensures the highest attention to the safety and well-being of the facility operators and the local community, while also ensuring we protect our customers’ investment. We specify equipment and systems that meet the latest environmental standards and reliability.”
He added, “We are extremely proud to be leading the delivery of the JAX LNG expansion. Many of our modular units are already installed at the site, and we look forward to successfully commissioning the Phase 2 facility.”
JAX LNG began operations in 2018 and is a joint venture between Pivotal LNG and NorthStar Midstream.
Pivotal provides LNG production, transportation and delivery services. Following completion of the JAX LNG expansion, Pivotal’s network of LNG assets will reach a production capacity of over 470,000 gallons per day and a storage capacity of approximately 9 million gallons at its three facilities in Alabama, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
For the storage expansion, JAX LNG is working with subsidiaries of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Matrix Service Company, a leading contractor to the energy and industrial markets and leader in small- to mid-size LNG liquefaction and storage terminals. Matrix completed the roof lift of the new 2 million gallon storage tank this past December, fulfilling a major construction milestone in the project.
The use of LNG as fuel allows maritime companies to move toward a cleaner energy future and comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s 2020 emissions regulations.
According to a study by SEALNG and the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel, LNG as a marine fuel can reduce greenhouse emissions up to 21% compared to current oil-based marine fuels.
The JAX LNG facility was the first small-scale waterside LNG production facility in the US with both marine and truck loading capabilities, according to JAX LNG. Since its 2018 commissioning, the facility has safely made over 150 deliveries to the LNG barge Clean Jacksonville through its integrated marine loading dock.