Palermo terminal operator brings Colombian port expertise. File Image / Pixabay

• Amazónica LNG joins SEA-LNG, extending coalition into South America
• Firm operates Palermo LNG terminal near Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast
• Cartagena and Barranquilla pitched as emerging LNG bunkering hub for the region
• LNG-fuelled ships almost 90% of alternative-fuel orderbook, coalition says

Industry coalition SEA-LNG has added Colombian terminal operator Amazónica LNG to its membership, extending the group's reach into South America.

The company is a joint venture between port logistics firm Retramar and private equity investor Affinity Energy, and operates the Palermo LNG terminal near Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, the coalition said in an emailed press release on Tuesday.

The site combines a floating storage unit with regasification and small-scale LNG distribution capability, and is planned to reach 210,000 m3 of storage capacity with an estimated private investment of US$150 million, according to the company.

Amazónica LNG says the membership will support the development of Cartagena and Barranquilla as an LNG bunkering hub serving Latin America and the wider Caribbean.

The two cities already see significant maritime activity: CONTECAR and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena together handled more than 4 million TEU of containerised cargo in 2025, around 63% of the total moved by Colombia's public-service port companies, while the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla handled some 3.5 million tonnes of cargo.

"The opportunity for Amazónica LNG is focused firmly on unlocking LNG as a practical transition fuel for the region," said CEO Alberto Consuegra.

"Joining SEA-LNG will help us expand our network and join a coalition of first movers who are dedicated to advancing the methane decarbonisation pathway."

"Amazónica LNG's membership extends SEA-LNG's reach into Latin America at a pivotal moment, growing the infrastructure which is critical for methane's global adoption," said SEA-LNG COO Steve Esau.

The coalition says LNG bunkering is now available at more than 220 ports worldwide, with LNG-fuelled vessels accounting for almost 90% of all alternative-fuel ships currently on order.