On April 17, Port Everglades welcomed its first cargo ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), marking a milestone for the South Florida seaport.
The vessel, Quetzal, operated by Fla.-based shipping company Crowley, is the first LNG-powered cargo ship to call at the port. It is one of four new ships the company plans to deploy for trade between the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean Basin.
While cruise ships such as Sun Princess, Silver Nova, and Silver Ray have previously visited the port using LNG propulsion, Quetzal is the first cargo vessel to do so.
Port Everglades and Broward County officials, including Commissioners Lamar P. Fisher and Robert McKinzie, held a dockside plaque ceremony to mark the ship’s arrival and recognize Crowley’s role in the regional trade network. The stop was also Quetzal’s first U.S. port call on its new route.
The Quetzal is part of Crowley’s Avance-class of container ships. Each has capacity for 1,400 twenty-foot equivalent units and 300 refrigerated containers, used primarily to transport perishable goods.
“Over the last year, our port has welcomed several LNG-powered cruise ships, and we applaud Crowley’s continued innovation as Florida’s No. 1 port for perishable goods,” said Port Everglades CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris.
Crowley says the new vessels are equipped with high-pressure MAN ME-GI engines intended to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.
