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Jacksonville continues to set the standard in the maritime use of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Jacksonville to Puerto Rico shippers Crowley Maritime and TOTE Maritime both have invested in first-of-their-kind vessels that use LNG as fuel.

Crowley’s Taino made its maiden voyage on Jan. 8. The Taino and its sister ship, El Coqui, are the world’s first LNG-powered vessels capable of carrying both containers and vehicles.

Powered by an eight-cylinder engine that spans four stories, the Taino can travel to Puerto Rico in 55 hours, less than half of the time of Crowley’s previous vessels.

The ships are fueled at JAXPORT by an Eagle LNG bunkering facility, also the first of its kind in the world.

“It puts JAXPORT on the map tremendously,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “Other ports don’t have this capacity and infrastructure.”

The Taino carries about 2,400 containers and 400 vehicles on the Jacksonville to Puerto Rico trade lane. Crowley’s LNG vessels and partnership with Eagle were part of a $500 million, five-year investment in the trade lane, an investment conditioned by global emissions standards on ships that become effective in 2020.

To set up an LNG supply chain, Eagle had to develop its Maxville liquefaction facility, which is capable of producing 87,000 gallons of natural gas a day and storing up to 1 million gallons. It then set up its JAXPORT LNG bunker on a less than 2-acre site, a significant challenge in the LNG world.

For more information, read the article at the Jacksonville Business Journal.