LNG Barge Clean Canaveral Bunkers First Cargo Ship in Canaveral

July 20, 2023

LNG bunker barge transferring LNG to Damia Desgagnés at Port Canaveral (Photo: JAX LNG)

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge Clean Canaveral completed its first barge-to-ship bunkering of a cargo vessel at Port Canaveral’s South Cargo Berth 4. JAX LNG, along with Polaris New Energy, handled the LNG refueling of the Damia Desgagnés on the ship’s inaugural call to Port Canaveral.

The asphalt/bitumen tanker Damia Desgagnés completed her discharge of cargo and then JAX LNG proceeded with Desgagnés’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of LNG. The seafarers safely transferred approximately 400 cubic meters of LNG from North America’s largest LNG bunker barge, the Clean Canaveral.

“Our port has been at the forefront of LNG fueling for cruise vessels for several years. This was Damia Desgagnés’s first call at our port and her first waterside bunkering of LNG,” stated Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO. “LNG is a proven clean energy fuel option and we’re proud to support its use in the maritime industry.”

The barge-to-ship fueling operation of a cargo vessel was coordinated between Port Canaveral, JAX LNG, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Canaveral and Canaveral Fire Rescue to ensure the LNG bunkering was properly planned, coordinated, and conducted safely and efficiently. GAC Bunker Fuels traded the LNG transfer.

The Port Canaveral call marks the first time Petro-Nav deployed the Damia Desgagnés to Port Canaveral and the first occasion the vessel received LNG fueling by a bunker vessel.

“Our LNG-fueled fleet has expanded to five Canadian flagged tankers all operating in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway system, Eastern Canada, and the U.S. as well as the Canadian Arctic,” said Julie Lambert, President, Petro-Nav Inc. (a subsidiary of Desgagnés). “We are proud to be leaders in energy efficient, low emission, low carbon marine transportation. We are especially excited to participate with Port Canaveral and JAX LNG in the Damia Desgagnés’s first barge-to-ship marine LNG bunkering.”

JAX LNG has access to two Jones Act LNG bunker barges, the Clean Canaveral and Clean Jacksonville, to serve customers at ports in the southeast United States.

“As we celebrate one year of operation in Port Canaveral, we appreciate the cooperative relationships that have been developed to provide cruise and cargo ships increased access to LNG,” said Roger Williams, Manager of JAX LNG and VP of Commercial LNG and Gas Development at BHE GT&S, the parent company of Pivotal LNG. “We look forward to continue to work with all these stakeholders as we further increase LNG deliveries in Port Canaveral and other ports in the southeastern U.S.”