Transshipment terminal: it’s a gas

A project to build a transshipment terminal at Moin, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, has been under discussion for several years.

The possibility of including a natural gas component, would make the concept more compelling.

Several Central American countries are considering the importation of gas, which as a power source is cheaper and less polluting than petroleum products.

There are several major sources of gas in the region, especially Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

No country in Central America has facilities, which would let it import this type of fuel, which is shipped in liquid form (LNG), and then converted into a compressed gas for combustion, either in electric-power generation, or in vehicles.

One option is for each country to build its own LNG port.

A better one could involve a transshipment facility, which receives gas from LNG tankers, and transfers it to barges, which serve each country, from Guatemala to Panama.

If the Costa Rican transshipment project goes ahead, it would be logical to include an LNG facility.

If not, such a facility could be built in any other Central American country.