SEA-LNG has announced the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast — marking the industry coalition’s first foray into South America.

Amazónica LNG is a joint venture between port logistics company Retramar and private equity investor Affinity Energy. The company operates the Palermo LNG terminal in Sitio Nuevo, Magdalena, near Barranquilla, which combines a floating storage unit with regasification and small-scale LNG distribution capability.

The membership positions Amazónica LNG within a broader coalition that includes vessel owners, ports, fuel producers, original equipment manufacturers, insurers and classification societies, all focused on growing the global methane marine fuel value chain.

Colombia’s Caribbean coast, centred on the ports of Cartagena and Barranquilla, handles a substantial volume of maritime traffic. In 2025, CONTECAR and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena together handled over 4 million TEUs of containerised cargo — around 63% of all containerised cargo handled by Colombia’s public-service port companies. The Cartagena Cruise Terminal serves 34 cruise lines, while the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla handled approximately 3.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2025.

Alberto Consuegra, CEO of Amazónica LNG, said: “The opportunity for Amazónica LNG is focused firmly on unlocking LNG as a practical transition fuel for the region. We make this possible by further advancing shipping decarbonisation as Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean establish themselves as a future-ready bunkering hub serving Latin America and the wider Caribbean. 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.”

According to SEA-LNG, LNG bunkering infrastructure has expanded to more than 220 ports globally, with LNG-fuelled vessels accounting for almost 90% of all alternative-fuel ships currently on order. The organisation characterises LNG and its bio- and synthetic derivatives — liquefied biomethane and e-methane — as a decarbonisation pathway for international shipping as regulatory requirements tighten.

Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG, remarked: “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. As decarbonisation requirements tighten across international shipping, Amazónica LNG’s infrastructure on Colombia’s Caribbean coast will accelerate the adoption of the methane pathway.”