en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 5, Norwegian marine energy infrastructure company ECOnnect Energy announced that it has signed a floating LNG facility lease agreement with New Providence Gas Ltd. to deploy the IQuay C-Class floating LNG transfer system at the LNG project on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. New Providence Gas is jointly established by Shell's subsidiary Shell Bahamas Power Company and FOCOL Holdings' subsidiary Sun Oil Holdings.

The floating system deployed this time, named "La Santa Maria," can connect to LNG carriers or floating storage units offshore and deliver LNG to onshore facilities via floating insulated pipelines. This solution eliminates the need for traditional fixed jetties, reducing offshore piling, seabed construction, and coastal works. ECOnnect Energy plans to ship the unit from Norway in the autumn of 2026, with the floating system expected to commence operations by the end of 2026.

The system will be constructed in conjunction with a small-scale LNG regasification terminal at Clifton Pier on New Providence Island. Shell has made a final investment decision on the project and has acquired a 40% interest in New Providence Gas through Shell Bahamas Power Company. New Providence Gas will be responsible for the construction, ownership, and operation of the terminal, with Shell planning to supply liquefied natural gas from its U.S. LNG portfolio for the project.

The terminal will be developed in phases and is planned to support over 170 megawatts of baseload power generation at Clifton Pier, with first gas targeted for the first quarter of 2027. Project facilities include LNG storage tanks and buffer tanks, transfer pumps, vaporizers, boil-off gas compression units, and metering systems, with natural gas serving as an alternative fuel to local fuel oil and diesel power generation.