Exmar, a leading operator of gas tankers, has confirmed an order for a 4th liquefied natural gas regasification vessel (LNGRV).
The 150,900m3 vessel, to be delivered in the 1st quarter of 2008, will be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (DSME) as Hull No. 2254 and named Explorer. The Explorer, owned 80% by Exmar and 20% by Excelerate Energy (the liquefied natural gas shipper and marketer), will be constructed using the membrane containment system together with Excelerate?s Energy Bridge technology.
Energy Bridge is an innovative system whereby a standard LNG vessel is customised to convert liquefied natural gas to vapour on board the ship. Then, using proven buoy technology that has been successfully deployed for more that a decade in the North Sea environment, the gas flows through lines connected to the ship and linked to underwater pipelines located offshore.
Excelerate will charter the vessel and anticipates using it to deliver regasified LNG to the Gulf Gateway - the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Port located 116 miles off the Louisiana cost - and to support its recent application to construct a NorthEast Gateway, a deepwater port to be located offshore in Massachusetts Bay, near Boston.
With this latest order, the Energy Bridge operation will comprise four LNGRVs including the Excelsior, delivered in January of this year, the Excellence, delivered in May, and DSME Hull No. 2237, to be named Excelerate, due for delivery in October 2006.
