Seaport Canaveral – A Vital Link to Florida’s Fuel Supply Chain

12/7/2021
Aerial View of Seaport Canaveral Pipelines and tank farmAerial View of Seaport Canaveral Pipelines

At first glance, the Seaport Canaveral Corporation, LLC fuel terminal located on the north side of Port Canaveral may look like a typical fuel depot in any other port around the U.S. But, there’s nothing typical about this terminal operations center. 
 
Since opening its doors at Port Canaveral in 2010, Seaport Canaveral has grown to be a vital link in the Florida fuel supply chain, providing an independent supply of petroleum products to commercial consumers across the state with its 24 storage tanks and holding capacity of approximately three million barrels of a broad range of fuel products. 
 
Even in times of severe weather, this strategic facility has kept the fuel flowing to retailers and airports all along the Space Coast and throughout Central Florida to power cars, trucks, ships, and airlines. David Smith, Seaport Canaveral’s General Manager, says keeping fuel supplies moving 24/7 is critically important not only for the region’s economy, but for the safety and wellbeing of Floridians.
 
“As a leading provider of transportation fuels for Central Florida, our task is to provide a secure fuel supply to meet the demands of the Central Florida region,” stated David Smith, Seaport Canaveral. “We are dedicated to providing the highest quality products and service for our customers.”
 
In 2017, Seaport Canaveral invested nearly $2 million to expand its truck rack capacity from six to ten total lanes to keep pace with the growing fuel supply demands of Central Florida. The high-tech tanker fueling facility operates 24 hours a day every day, with an automated system safely and securely pumping the precise fuel type and grade within seventeen minutes helping to reduce driver wait times.
 
Seaport Canaveral just completed their largest infrastructure improvement program at Port Canaveral. The $16 million project – completed under budget and two months ahead of schedule – replaced fuel pipes that were previously located within the tidal zones along the berth and subject to twice daily submersion in corrosive seawater during high tides.  The newly installed lines are now dry and clear of the water line. The new onshore 1,400 foot long pipe rack with new pipelines and utility lines connect to seven loading arms at North Cargo Piers 1 and 2.
 
To support their environmental initiatives, Seaport Canaveral has installed solar panels atop its administration building, which produce enough energy to power their facility. Future plans include installing additional solar panels, replacing the terminal and perimeter lighting with energy efficient solar LED lights, and testing the use of a wind turbine to generate electricity. 
 
For the future, Seaport Canaveral is working on a three-year business plan with Florida Power and Light (FPL) to build an on-site liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility to support an increasing demand for LNG fuel for vessels and space operations.