Old Harbour FSRU

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Old Harbour FSRU is an operating floating LNG import terminal in Jamaica.

Location

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Project Details

• Operator: New Fortress Energy
• Owner: New Fortress Energy
• Parent Company: New Fortress Energy
• Vessel: Höegh Gallant
• Vessel Owner: Höegh LNG
• Vessel Parent Company: Höegh LNG
• Location: Old Harbour, Jamaica
• Coordinates: 17.894692, -77.101154 (approximate)
• Capacity: 1.7 mtpa
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 2019

Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day

Background

Old Harbour FSRU was announced in 2016 as an offshore floating storage and regasification terminal (FSRU) to be owned and operated by American company New Fortress Energy, which already operated the Montego Bay LNG Terminal on the opposite side of the island. The terminal was to feed gas through a 5 km long pipeline to a new power plant being constructed by JPS (Jamaica Public Service Company) at Old Harbor. The terminal was to be constructed on the Western side of Portland Bight, near the environmentally protected Goat Islands.

In October 2016, the Jamaican government decided to move the location of a transshipment port which was to be located directly on the Goat Islands due to significant concern over its environmental impact on marine life. While the cancellation of the sea port had no direct effect on the proposed LNG terminal, conservationists remained concerned over the FSRU's potential effects on marine life.

As of 2017, the terminal's commencement is planned for 2018.

New Fortress described the terminal as operational in an investor document in December of 2018 and commissioned the FSRU off the coast of Old Harbour in July, 2019, with plans to increase its gas output fivefold at the facility by year-end. The American company started pumping gas at the Old Harbour terminal in March 2019 and expected to reach full output by 2020, according to New Fortress’ market filings. The Floating Storage Regasification Terminal cost US$86 million, according to filings. It comprises a terminal with a large ship affixed called the Golar Freeze, which will remain largely affixed to the dock, but moved during storms. Up to June 2019, the Old Harbour terminal was producing 93,000 gallons of gas per day. By December 2019 that figure was expected to grow to 500,000 gallons and then level of at some 744,000 gallons per day by March 2020.

The terminal’s original pipeline is concealed and runs along the sea floor for 3.6 miles towards Old Harbour. The pipeline links to Jamaica Public Service Company’s 190 MW South Jamaica Power Centre in Old Harbour, which converts the gas to electricity. A second pipeline runs towards the Rocky Point area of Clarendon. In March 2020 it began feeding the new 100 MW gas-fired CHP (combined heat and power) Jamalco power station at the Jamalco alumina refinery in Halse Hall, Clarendon; this is the second power plant connected to the Old Harbour regasification terminal and the only CHP facility in the Caribbean.

In March 2022 the Höegh Gallant replaced the Golar Freeze as the FSRU serving the Old Harbour Terminal, in accordance with a 10-year agreement signed between New Fortress Energy and Höegh LNG in 2021.