The U.S. Coast Guard and the San Juan Bay Pilots Corporation have objected to New Fortress Energy’s plan to dredge the waters around its San Juan Bay docks, arguing the project would let larger vessels moor there almost permanently and obstruct the port’s navigable channels.
The New Fortress Energy dredging plan, filed with federal regulators through the company’s subsidiary NFE Energía LLC, seeks to deepen the seabed around its liquefied natural gas terminal docks so larger-capacity vessels can anchor there, according to a report by El Nuevo Día correspondent Manuel Guillama Capella.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is reviewing the application, said it noted the “concerns” raised by the Coast Guard and the pilots’ union during the public comment period and has asked New Fortress Energy to respond within 30 days. The exact date that window opened, and when it closes, wasn’t specified in the available reporting.
A request already drawing scrutiny
NFE’s original application sought to dredge to a depth of up to 43 feet at docks A, B and C, to accommodate vessels with a beam of up to 141.1 feet. Public comment on that request ran through June 29, and the company invoked the national energy emergency declaration President Trump signed Jan. 20, 2025, as part of its justification, according to El Vocero.
The San Juan Bay Pilots Corporation, the union representing harbor pilots who guide vessels in and out of the bay, is also a party to a separate federal lawsuit against NFEnergía, filed Aug. 31, 2025, over the company’s switch to smaller tugboats for maneuvering its LNG tankers. That case is unrelated to the dredging request, but it reflects an already adversarial relationship between the pilots and NFE over vessel-handling safety in the bay.
Sources: El Nuevo Día, El Vocero
