Galveston LNG Bunker Port (GLBP), a recently-established joint venture between Seapath Group, one of the maritime subsidiaries of the Libra Group, and Pilot LNG, a Houston-based clean energy solutions company, has joined LNG industry body Sea-LNG – further enhancing the LNG supply infrastructure expertise and global reach, while giving GLBP access to the latest LNG pathway research and networking opportunities.
GLBP will develop, construct and operate the US Gulf Coast’s first dedicated facility supporting the fuelling of LNG-powered vessels, and is expected to be fully operational by late 2026. The shore-based LNG liquefaction facility will be located on Shoal Point in Texas City, part of the greater Houston-Galveston port complex, one of the busiest ports in the USA. This is a strategic location for cruise ship LNG bunkering in US waters, as well as for international ship-to-ship bunkering and cool-down services. GLBP will offer cost-effective turn-key LNG supply solutions to meet growing demand for the cleaner fuel in the USA and Gulf of Mexico.
Jonathan Cook, Pilot CEO said: “With an initial investment of approximately US$ 180m, our LNG bunkering facility will supply a vital global and US trade corridor with cleaner marine fuel. We recognise that Sea-LNG is a leading partner and a key piece of the LNG bunkering sector, and will give us access to insights and expertise across the entire LNG supply chain. LNG supports environmental goals and human health by offering ship operators immediate reductions in CO2 emissions and virtually eliminating harmful local emissions of SOx, NOx and particulate matter.”
Seapath President Joshua Lubarsky said: “We are very pleased to be supporting the decarbonisation of the maritime industry through strategic, and much needed, investments into the supply of alternative fuels. We are also happy to be a part of Sea-LNG which has done a wonderful job in advocating for advancements in technology in this vital sector.”
Sea-LNG chairman Peter Keller said: “We’re proud to welcome another leading LNG supplier to the coalition and are looking forward to a mutually beneficial relationship. With every investment in supply infrastructure in the US and worldwide, the LNG pathway’s head start increases. Global availability, alongside bio-LNG and e-LNG development, makes LNG the practical and realistic route to maritime decarbonisation. All alternative fuels exist on a pathway from grey, fossil-based fuels to green, bio or renewable fuels. Green fuels represent a scarce resource and many have scalability issues, so we must start our net-zero journey today with grey fuels. LNG is the only grey fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, well-to-wake, so you need less green fuel than alternatives to improve emissions performance.”
LNG bunkering infrastructure can deliver LNG and carbon-neutral bio-LNG today, as well as e-LNG, as and when it becomes available, to existing LNG-fuelled vessels with no modifications required. These net-zero fuels can be dropped in and blended with grey LNG at any ratio. As a result, GLBP and Sea-LNG recognise that LNG offers a practical, incremental pathway to net-zero shipping.
Image: Galveston LNG bunkering facility (source: Sea-LNG)
