New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE), a global energy infrastructure company, has announced that its Barcarena LNG terminal in Pará, Brazil, is now operational. The terminal, which has a capacity of 6 MTPA (300 TBtu), is the first of its kind in the North region of Brazil and will supply natural gas to several industrial customers, including Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte refinery, the largest alumina refinery in the world.
The Barcarena LNG terminal is strategically located at the mouth of the Amazon River and consists of an offshore terminal and a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) named Energos Celsius. The FSRU, which arrived on-site in February, is capable of storing up to 173,400 m3 of LNG and regasifying up to 15 million m3 of natural gas per day.
The terminal will not only support industrial development but also reduce emissions and pollution in the environmentally sensitive Amazon region by providing a cleaner, affordable, and reliable alternative to oil-based fuels. NFE expects to immediately begin delivering natural gas to Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte refinery under a 15-year gas supply agreement. NFE will supply the alumina production facility with approximately 30 TBtus of natural gas annually, reducing the refinery’s annual CO2 emissions by an estimated 700,000 tonnes per annum and supporting Norsk Hydro’s global commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
The Barcarena terminal will also supply natural gas to NFE’s 630 MW power plant, which is currently under construction adjacent to the Barcarena terminal. The power plant remains on track to achieve COD in the third quarter of 2025 and is approximately 50% complete. Additionally, the company intends to utilize its existing infrastructure in place in Barcarena to strategically expand its power complex by 1.6 GW under the previously announced New Power Project PPA, with an expected COD no later than July 2026. NFE has applied to transfer the New Power Project PPA to a permitted site adjacent to the Barcarena terminal and expects close the acquisition in the first quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approval.
“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 honored to support Brazil, the state of Pará, and Norsk Hydro in their decarbonization efforts while growing energy supply and economic opportunity in the region,” said Wes Edens, Chairman and CEO of New Fortress Energy.
LNG is a form of natural gas that has been cooled to -162°C, reducing its volume by 600 times and making it easier to transport and store. LNG terminals are facilities that receive, store, and regasify LNG for distribution to end-users. LNG terminals can be classified into onshore and offshore types, depending on their location and configuration. Offshore terminals, such as the Barcarena terminal, use FSRUs or floating LNG (FLNG) vessels to perform the regasification process at sea, avoiding the need for land-based infrastructure and reducing environmental impact.
