US natural gas company New Fortress Energy (NFE) has commenced operations at the Barcarena liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Pará, Brazil.  

The terminal has a capacity of 6mtpa or 300 trillion British thermal units (TBtu). 

It is expected to become the primary source of natural gas in Pará and the broader northern region of Brazil. 

Situated at the mouth of the Amazon River, the Barcarena terminal includes an offshore terminal and the Energos Celsius floating storage regasification unit.  

This facility will supply LNG to multiple industrial clients including Norsk Hydro’s Alunorte refinery under a 15-year contract. 

NFE emphasised the environmental benefits of the terminal, stating that in addition to promoting industrial growth, the terminal will also help reduce emissions and pollution in the ecologically delicate Amazon region by offering an environmentally friendly substitute for oil-based fuels.  

The company is set to start delivering natural gas to the Alunorte refinery immediately, supplying around 30TBtu annually.  

This is expected to cut the refinery's CO₂ emissions by roughly 700,000 tonnes each year, aligning with Norsk Hydro's objective to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. 

Additionally, the Barcarena terminal will fuel NFE’s 630MW power plant, which is under construction adjacent to the terminal.  

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.”  

In November 2023, NFE and Pemex, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company, cancelled a joint venture to develop a deep-water natural gas project in Mexico.  

The collaboration, initiated in 2022, aimed to exploit the Lakach gas field in the Gulf of Mexico, estimated to hold 900 billion cubic feet of natural gas and located 90km from the port of Veracruz. 

However, due to disagreements on the field's development strategy and escalating costs, the project has been put on hold.  

Pemex is now seeking new partners to advance the development of the Lakach field.