About the Project
A new and specially designed Höegh LNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification vessel will be moored at a submerged buoy in the Port Dolphin deepwater port. Conventional LNG carriers will transport LNG to Florida and transfer their cargo to the custom-built Höegh LNG vessel, which will in turn convert LNG to gas by processing the LNG at an onboard regasification plant. The natural gas will then be transported from the deepwater port to shore at Port Manatee through an undersea pipeline. The pipeline will extend inland for about four miles where it will connect with other interstate and intrastate pipelines to supply much needed natural gas to the FL Gulf Coast region.
The construction of the Port Dolphin deepwater port will occur in two phases, lasting about 22 months. In the first phase, the buoys and associated equipment will be manufactured, and in the second phase, the buoys, pipeline and the onshore interconnection facilities will be installed.
When completed, Port Dolphin’s infrastructure will enable gas suppliers to provide much needed natural gas to help serve the state’s growing energy needs. With growing environmental concerns, Florida’s utilities have diversified from their traditional reliance on coal for production of electricity. Natural gas supplied through Port Dolphin can be used for electric generation or as a source of energy for homes and businesses. And the new deepwater port will enable a new additional source of natural gas that is not tied to drilling and production in the Gulf of Mexico, and thus not prone to hurricane disruption.
A new supply of clean-burning natural gas is just one of Port Dolphin Energy’s contributions to environmental protection. The deepwater port itself will not be visible from land, and great care has been taken in the routing of the pipeline to shore to protect the environment. And while no natural gas infrastructure can be built without environmental impacts, Port Dolphin will have a much smaller impact than traditional pipelines bringing gas from the producing fields in Texas and elsewhere. In short, Port Dolphin Energy is committed to sound environmental stewardship.
The new deepwater LNG port components (including the LNG regas vessel and gas transmission pipeline) represent a major long-term investment in Florida’s energy future. The new facilities are just part of a larger energy supply chain designed to provide reliable service for decades to come.