News

A Jacksonville-based liquified natural gas company is expanding its reach in the maritime fuel business with the acquisition of a barge used to fuel LNG ships.

Seaside LNG bought the barge, which is named Clean Jacksonville, from another First Coast company, Tote Maritime Puerto Rico.

Seaside LNG’s maritime transportation company, Polaris New Energy, will continue using the barge to fuel Tote’s LNG-powered container ships, and Tote Services will continue to operate the fueling barge under a long-term contract with Polaris.

Tote was the first company to roll out an LNG-fueled container ship and has long worked with Seaside. In 2021, Tote fueled the first marine vessel in the U.S. with a blend of LNG and renewable LNG. Some of that fuel was provided by Jax LNG, a small-scale production facility that Seaside owns half of.

“Tote Services’ experience in bringing LNG to the maritime sector is the most extensive in the industry. By working across every aspect, from vessel construction to ship management and technical expertise, we help our customers achieve their business and environmental objectives,” Tote Services President Jeff Dixon said. “We look forward to continuing to operate the Clean Jacksonville safely and reliably for years to come.”

According to Seaside LNG CEO Tim Casey, roughly 60% of all new ships being built today are built to use LNG as the primary fuel source. With the acquisition of the barge, Seaside has two barges and a tug in operation, with another barge and tug being constructed — making up the largest LNG fleet in the nation.

“We picked Jacksonville to be the first place to start up, and I have to give Jaxport and Florida the thanks for supporting us – because of that, we’ve been able to help make Florida a leader in LNG. I would really say Florida is at the forefront of that evolution, and we’re excited to be a part of it,” Casey said.

The Jax LNG production facility, which Seaside owns with Pivotal LNG, makes about 360,000 gallons of LNG a day, the company said.