The entry of the tanker Amur River into San Juan Bay, set for Sunday, was postponed to Monday, October 12, because of administrative delays and sea conditions, New Fortress Energy (NFE) said. NFE said that entry options for Sunday morning and afternoon were arranged, but authorization from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remained pending.
NFE requested entry for Monday between 6:00 and 10:00 AM; the harbor pilots set 11:30 AM as the projected entry time. The maneuver must occur in daylight with maximum winds of 10 knots, sustained and in gusts. The ship carries liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA (AEE), or PREPA) plants on the north coast; since the delay, units at the Palo Seco and San Juan plants have run on more expensive diesel.
In a motion filed in federal court, the San Juan Bay Pilots Association said NFE requested service at 9:20 AM. Sunday, the first request since the ship returned after entries were canceled on October 4 and 5, and that it confirmed the service eleven minutes later. The Association told Judge Silvia Carreño Coll the vessel was not on the U.S. Coast Guard’s authorized list for October 12 and 13, and said the agent must secure that authorization.
On Saturday, the Energy Bureau said its September 30 and October 4 orders do not by themselves order PREPA or Genera PR to withhold payment of NFE’s invoices. NFE had warned on October 2 it could not commit any LNG to Puerto Rico after the bureau deferred about $17.6 million in payments. Federal judge María Antongiorgi Jordán will preside over a hearing Tuesday on PREPA’s request to let Crowley supply fuel through NFE’s facilities.