Stevedores, which is located at JAXPORT’S Blount Island Marine Terminal, recently unloaded its first shipment containing new 53-foot wide-top pick cargo containers that will be used on the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered container ships.
The containers were shipped from Qingdao, China, to Blount Island via the Saga Navigator. All of the new containers were unloaded by Portus.
The company’s first LNG ship was named the Isla Bella and was launched at the San Diego shipyard for General Dynamics NASSCO this past April. This fall, it will arrive in JAXPORT. The company’s second ship is being built in the San Diego area, and is scheduled to arrive in JAXPORT by early 2016.
The new Marlin Class ships are owned by TOTE Inc., the parent company of Sea Star Line, a Jacksonville-based company and JAXPORT tenant for over 20 years. Investing in this new equipment demonstrates that TOTE is committed to encouraging a positive future for the Puerto Rico trade line.
Both of the ships will use JAXPORT as their home port. They will service the trade line to Puerto Rico, and TOTE anticipates further positive changes for the company and its trade line to and from Puerto Rico.