Sea Star Line expecting delivery of LNG-powered container vessels

Sea Star Line is awaiting the first of two LNG-powered container vessels in 2015 and 2016 along with completion of an LNG bunkering station at the Jacksonville Port (JAXPORT).

The two new Marlin Class ships, being built by General Dynamics NASSCO’s shipyard in San Diego will ship to Puerto Rico from Florida, specifically between Jacksonville and San Juan.

Dual-fuel engine

According to a press release from Sea Star Line parent company TOTE Inc., NASSCO engineers have placed the dual-fuel slow speed engine into the LNG-powered containership. The ME-GI dual-fuel engine was built by Doosan Engine in Korea, under license from MAN Diesel and Turbo.

Hull 495, the first of the two Marlin-Class vessels being built by NASSCO will be completed in early 2015. The 3100 TEU container ships will have tank capacities of 900,000 litres each.

In 2015, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission control area (ECA) standards become effective in US coastal waters encompassing Caribbean maritime routes. The two new container ships allow Sea Star Line to lead the way for ECA standards compatible container shipping vessel emission control technology represented by the growth of LNG.

LNG bunkering plant

In a cooperative venture, Pivotal LNG and Wespac Midstream formed a joint venture to build an LNG bunkering plant near the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Dames Point Marine Terminal. The Dames Point Marine Terminal is JAXPORT’s newest marine facility. The terminal is situated alongside the harbor’s main shipping channel.

The adjacent property, owned by the Port Authority, will be the site of a US$ 30 million Intermodal Container Transfer Facility. The facility will allow containers to be more efficiently shipped via rail.

Jacksonville container facility

The container facility is part of a larger plan for overall JAXPORT improvements, including deepening of Jacksonville’s main shipping channel as well as infrastructure rebuilds of some major berths. The goal is to be ready to accommodate the larger Panamax vessels expected once the revamped Panama Canal opens in 2015.

While there are a growing number of LNG bunkering stations at a number of major European ports, the LNG bunkering facility at JAXPORT is the first in North America.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/20112014/sea-star-line-lng-ventures-1828/