The Norwegian contractor ECOnnect Energy said on Wednesday it had won a contract to deliver a floating liquefied natural gas import terminal for a Shell joint venture in the Bahamas. The unit will enable LNG imports to New Providence once it starts up at the end of 2026. This run leads with project economics rather than conflict, tracking a specific piece of energy infrastructure moving from decision to delivery.
Shell reached a final investment decision on the project last month, forming a joint venture with FOCOL Holdings called New Providence Gas. Shell owns 40 percent of the venture through Shell Bahamas Power Company and will supply the LNG from its United States portfolio. The rest of the equity sits with the local partner, giving the deal a regional footing.
The terminal will deploy ECOnnect Energy's IQuay C-Class platform, which connects LNG carriers directly to onshore storage without the fixed jetties that conventional import terminals require. The contractor said the approach reduces marine construction, limits disturbance to coastal environments and speeds up deployment on sensitive island sites. The floating unit, named La Santa Maria, will leave Norway this autumn with first deliveries expected during the coming winter.
For the Bahamas the switch matters because power generation on the islands has leaned heavily on imported diesel and fuel oil, tying electricity costs to global crude prices and leaving households and businesses exposed to volatile bills. Gas supplied through the new terminal is meant to steady those costs and give the grid a more predictable fuel.
The award reinforces Shell's push to grow its integrated gas and LNG business in emerging markets. Tom Summers, Shell's executive vice president for LNG marketing and trading, framed the Bahamas deal as a scalable model built with local stakeholders. Shell aims to raise LNG sales by four to five percent a year through 2030, after selling 72.9 million metric tons in 2025, up 11 percent on the prior year.