Broward County's Port Everglades has welcomed its first cargo ship fuelled by LNG, an environmentally-friendly alternative fuel. The Crowley ship, Quetzal, is one of four new-build vessels using cleaner fuel that the Florida-based global company plans for trade among the US, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin.
Several cruise ships fuelled with LNG, including Princess Cruises' Sun Princess and Silversea's Silver Nova and Silver Ray, already visit Port Everglades; however, this is the first LNG-powered cargo ship to call.
Broward County Commissioners, Lamar P. Fisher and Robert McKinzie, joined port staff during a dockside plaque presentation to recognise Crowley's commitment to decarbonisation and their trade partnership. This was also Queztal's first US port call as part of its route between Central America and the US.
The Quetzal, like the other three forthcoming Avance Class container ships, has a capacity for 1400 TEUs and 300 refrigerated unit plugs for transporting perishable cargo.
“Over the last year, our port has welcomed several cruise ships that use LNG, and we applaud Crowley's efforts to reduce its impact when transporting perishables through Florida's No. 1 port for perishable goods,” said CEO and Port Director, Joseph Morris. “It's clear that our maritime future relies on innovation and continuous evolution.”
Ships using LNG, instead of diesel, can significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions such as sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, while eliminating particulate matter. According to Crowley, the new class of vessels also have high-pressure ME-GI engines and reduce methane slippage to negligible levels.