Jamaica in LNG first

The 2003-built, 138,500-cbm Golar Arctic has arrived in Jamaica to serve as a floating storage unit supplying fuel for the country’s 120-megawatt power plant at Bogue, Montego Bay.

Supplied by the US-based New Fortress Energy, the first LNG shipment arrived at the port of Kingston aboard the Golar Arctic on Friday, August 5, Jamaica’s energy company, JPS said in a statement.

“The introduction of gas represents a historic milestone for Jamaica, as the nation pursues energy diversification and the expansion of its energy sector,” JPS said.

New Fortress Energy signed an agreement with JPS last year to supply LNG for Jamaica’s power plant in Bogue. Earlier this year, the power plant was converted to run on gas as well as automotive diesel oil.

New Fortress Energy chartered the Golar Arctic from Golar LNG under a two-year deal that was previously expected to start in March.

According to JPS, the LNG facility is not ready yet. Jamaica’s only distributer of electricity said that New Fortress Energy is finalizing construction of the Montego Bay LNG terminal and is “on track for mechanical completion this month.”

After the terminal is complete, JPS and New Fortress Energy will begin the commissioning process.

JPS and New Fortress Energy have also signed an agreement to extend the supply of gas to Jamaica to the new 190-megawatt power plant at Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine. New Fortress Energy has agreed to privately finance and develop the infrastructure necessary to deliver LNG to the new Old Harbour plant.

“The country has been trying to achieve fuel diversity for a long time, and 2016 represents the year that it has really happened, with the introduction of gas, grid-scale solar, and the addition of significant wind capacity to the grid. Natural gas will play a key role in transforming the energy sector, while supporting industrial development and economic growth,”  said JPS President & CEO, Kelly Tomblin.

LNG World News Staff