Inspectioneering
News

Port of Houston Marine Terminal Now Fully Operational

Vopak Moda Houston, LLC, December 15, 2021

Vopak Moda Houston, LLC recently announced that its marine terminal in the Port of Houston is fully operational. Formed in 2016, Vopak Moda Houston is a joint venture between Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream. Strategically located in Houston’s refining and petrochemical corridor and in close proximity to multiple ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen pipelines, Vopak Moda Houston is the first greenfield terminal development in the Port of Houston in more than a decade. Designed to handle very large gas carriers (VLGCs), as well as smaller vessels and barges, Vopak Moda Houston is the only waterborne ammonia terminal in the Port of Houston with deepwater capabilities. The terminal has existing permits for additional berthing positions. Vopak Moda Houston is directly connected via pipeline to the Port of Houston petrochemical complex, the nation’s largest and world’s second-largest petrochemical complex.

We are thrilled to bring the Vopak Moda Houston terminal into full service together with our partner Royal Vopak, our customers and other stakeholders,” Moda Midstream CEO and Founder Jonathan Z. Ackerman said. “In today’s world, supply chains must be resilient and sustainable. With the ability to safely and reliably transport ammonia and other pressurized gases for our current and future customers, Vopak Moda Houston is a vital link in the new energy transition supply chain. We are in active discussions with customers to provide logistics solutions for low-carbon products, including storage and handling of green and blue ammonia, hydrogen and low-carbon bunkering. Thanks to the determination, hard work and collaboration amongst the teams since its formation, Vopak Moda Houston is well positioned to become the premier low-carbon ammonia and hydrogen terminaling hub on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Vopak Americas President Chris Robblee added, “We are excited with this successful cooperation with Moda. This very well fits Vopak’s strategy of developing new infrastructure solutions for products like ammonia. Our expertise and our presence in the main industrial clusters makes us well-equipped to actively contribute to the development of new supply chains for the energy and feedstocks of the future.

Ammonia already serves an important role in society by supplying vital components to chemical manufacturing and in fertilizers as a nutrient for the foods we grow. Ammonia is expected to become even more important in the future as it will be used as the preferred carrier for storing and transporting low-carbon hydrogen. In addition, ammonia has growing applications in power cells, power generation and ship bunkering.

Vopak Moda Houston also operates a unit train rail loop served by all three main rail lines. Vopak Moda Houston has completed construction of its rail infrastructure for the storage and handling of pressurized gas for a global energy company.

Vopak Moda Houston Terminal: Key Metrics

  • Fully automated terminal incorporating the latest safety technology
  • Newly constructed deepwater dock employing state-of the-art marine unloading and loading arms
  • Current tanks: 2 x 15,000 metric ton tanks for refrigerated ammonia storage
  • Current capacity: 30,000 total metric tons
  • Pressurized bullet tanks: 5
  • Total bullet tank capacity: 14,285 barrels


About Royal Vopak

Royal Vopak is the world’s leading independent tank storage company. We store vital products with care. With over 400 years of history and a focus on sustainability, we ensure safe, clean and efficient storage and handling of bulk liquid products and gases for our customers. By doing so, we enable the delivery of products that are vital to our economy and daily lives, ranging from chemicals, oils, gases and LNG to biofuels and vegoils. We are determined to develop key infrastructure solutions for the world’s changing energy and feedstock systems, while simultaneously investing in digitalization and innovation. Vopak is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. For more information, please visit www.vopak.com.

About Moda Midstream, LLC

Moda Midstream, LLC develops advantaged and sophisticated infrastructure for storing and handling liquids products that are essential to our economy and our way of life. Moda helps customers increase the efficiency and protect the integrity of their supply chains. Moda’s mission is to be the logistics and terminaling provider of choice by delivering safe, reliable and sustainable solutions. Moda is backed by EnCap Flatrock Midstream. In October 2021, Moda closed on the sale of its Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) to Enbridge. MIEC, now known as the Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center, is the largest crude oil export terminal in the U.S. Please visit www.modamidstream.com.

About EnCap Flatrock Midstream

EnCap Flatrock Midstream provides value-added growth capital to proven management teams focused on midstream infrastructure opportunities across North America. The firm was formed in 2008 by a partnership between EnCap Investments L.P. and Flatrock Energy Advisors, LLC. Based in San Antonio with offices in Oklahoma City and Houston, the firm manages investment commitments of nearly $9 billion from a broad group of prestigious institutional investors. EnCap Flatrock Midstream is currently making commitments to new management teams from EFM Fund IV, a $3.25 billion fund. For more information, please visit www.efmidstream.com.


Comments and Discussion

There are no comments yet.

Add a Comment

Please log in or register to participate in comments and discussions.


Inspectioneering Journal

Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.

Company Directory

Find relevant products, services, and technologies.

Training Solutions

Improve your skills in key mechanical integrity subjects.

Case Studies

Learn from the experience of others in the industry.

Integripedia

Inspectioneering's index of mechanical integrity topics – built by you.

Industry News

Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.

Blog

Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.

Expert Interviews

Inspectioneering's archive of interviews with industry subject matter experts.

Event Calendar

Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.

Downloads

Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.

Videos & Webinars

Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.

Acronyms

Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.