Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port®

  • Buoy disconnect at Northeast Gateway.
  • Excelerate moored at Northeast Gateway.
  • Auto-detection buoys aide in the protection of the right whales.

Location: Offshore Boston, Massachusetts
Date: Commissioned May 2008
Owner: Excelerate Energy

Background

To better meet the LNG needs of the densely populated Northeastern United States, our company installed the Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port (Northeast Gateway) 13 miles from shore in Massachusetts Bay. This is our second buoy-based offshore receiving facility.

Solution

This Gateway design consists of a dual submerged turret-loading buoy system and an approximately 16-mile pipeline connecting to the existing HubLine pipeline operated by Algonquin Gas Transmission. Able to accept deliveries of up to 600 MMcf/d, the Northeast Gateway serves several premium United States markets.

Northeast Gateway can accept any specification of LNG not exceeding a gross heating value of 1,110 btu/scf or a Wobbe Index of 1400.

Results

Operating at Northeast Gateway also means operating among a dwindling right whale population. Our company partnered with Cornell University and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to develop a state-of-the art system that detects the presence of right whales. Aided by this tool, our ships voluntarily reduce speeds around sensitive areas, employ emissions-reduction systems and drastically reduce seawater intake and discharge. Our partnership has also contributed to the monitoring of sea life and the aquatic environment to discover better methods of reducing both noise and physical pollution.

Key Facts

  • Dual-buoy system in Massachusetts Bay
  • Capable of up to 600 MMcf/d delivery rate
  • Connected to the Northeastern United States natural gas grid through a pipeline lateral built by Algonquin Gas Transmission
  • Promoted improvements in Excelerate Energy’s shipping fleet
    • NOx emissions reduced >90%
    • Seawater usage reduced by 98%
  • First new LNG receiving terminal built on the United States East Coast in more than 25 years
  • First LNG terminal to integrate state-of-the-art marine mammal detection technology with its LNG fleet operations:
    • Reduced potential for whale/vessel strikes
    • Advantageous for recovery of the endangered North Atlantic right whale