New Fortress Energy (NFE) has commissioned the Barcarena LNG terminal, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Pará, Brazil with a capacity of six million tonnes per annum (MTPA).
Located at the mouth of the Amazon River, the terminal is equipped with the Energos Celsius floating storage regasification unit (FSRU).
According to New Fortress Energy, the Barcarena LNG terminal is the only natural gas supply source or both the state of Pará and the North region of Brazil. Its infrastructure encompasses an offshore terminal and FSRU designed to distribute LNG to various industrial clients.
Beyond fostering industrial growth, the terminal is expected to play a crucial role in curbing emissions and pollution in the environmentally delicate Amazon region by offering a cleaner, cost-effective, and dependable substitute for oil-derived fuels.
The LNG terminal is underpinned by a 15-year agreement with Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte refinery, which is said to be the world`s largest alumina refinery.
New Fortress Energy is set to promptly commence supplying natural gas to the refinery.
This partnership will entail delivering around 30 trillion British thermal units (TBtus) of natural gas annually to the alumina production facility. This is estimated to curtail the refinery’s yearly CO2 emissions by roughly 700,000 tonnes in line with Norsk Hydro`s global initiative to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
Moreover, the Barcarena terminal will extend its natural gas provisions to a 630MW power plant of New Fortress Energy. Currently, the power plant is under construction adjacent to the terminal.
New Fortress Energy said that progress is well on track for the power plant to attain commercial operation date (COD) by Q3 2025, with construction standing at approximately 50% completion.
Furthermore, leveraging existing infrastructure in Barcarena, the company plans expansion of its power complex by 1.6GW under a previously disclosed new power project power purchase agreement (PPA). Anticipated COD for this expansion is no later than July 2026.
New Fortress Energy has initiated the process of transferring the new power project PPA to a permitted site neighbouring the Barcarena LNG terminal, anticipating completion of the acquisition in Q1 2024, contingent upon regulatory approval.
New Fortress Energy chairman and CEO Wes Edens said: “Our Barcarena complex is a great example of NFE’s fully integrated LNG-to-power business model, where our LNG import terminal provides a significant competitive advantage. We are honoured to support Brazil, the state of Pará, and Norsk Hydro in their decarbonisation efforts while growing energy supply and economic opportunity in the region.”
