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Fair winds and following seas greeted El Coqui — hailed as the future of modern maritime trade with its cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas engines and cutting-edge technology — as she sailed Oct. 20 from Jacksonville with cargo bound for Puerto Rico.

Liquefied natural gas shipping costs will increase, driven by rising charter rates, higher fuel costs and the growth in interbasin trade flows, according to estimations by Fitch Solutions Macro Research.

A new trade route for energy supplies is opening up north of the Arctic Circle as some of the warmest temperatures on record shrink ice caps that used to lock ships out of the area.

PetroChina, a unit of the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp., may suspend its buying of U.S. liquefied natural gas cargoes during the colder months, just as new American LNG terminals start up.

The idea was nothing short of revolutionary: Convert the nation’s millions of trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles to run on natural gas instead of gasoline and diesel.

Italian truck maker Iveco debuted its alternative fuel-powered concept truck that the company said anticipates the shift to autonomous driving and renewable energy.

When Tote Inc., a shipper that operates between the United States and the Caribbean, launched its latest containership last month, the 760-foot craft carried a certain distinction: It’s only the second of the massive vessels worldwide fueled by liquefied natural gas.

Ocean carrier Tote and ship builder Nassco announced they have launched a second alternative fuel-powered vessel as efforts advance to put the first two liquefied natural gas containerships into service.

Republican and Democratic senators have reintroduced their bill to create tax equity for carriers that use liquefied natural gas.

Volvo Trucks said it is postponing its planned compression-ignition liquefied natural gas engine for the North American market.