Staff Reports
Florida-based Belvedere Terminals plan to invest $750 million in Florida to develop multiple fuel terminals for storage and supply, the company announced.
Belvedere Terminals, a new company working to support state leaders focused on improving the state’s fuel supply chain and ensure gas accessibility, plans its first three sites in Jacksonville, Ormond Beach and Ft. Pierce. The company will expand with another seven locations throughout the state over the next five years.
The initial three sites are in the early stages of planning and development, with work underway with community leaders in those areas.
“As a sixth generation Floridians myself, we are beyond excited to begin working to develop Belvedere Terminals’ locations in Florida and bring more than $750 million in capital investment with more than 200 jobs to the state,” Belvedere Terminals President Edwin Cothron said.
“Our Belvedere Terminals system will use state-of-the-art railcars and sites that will set new industry standards for operational safety. This new system for fuel delivery will help lower gas prices for consumers and offer a safer and more dependable method for getting fuel into the state that is not subject to port shutdowns when a hurricane forms.”
Florida does not have any in-state production of oil and gas, and it lacks its own gas pipeline. Because of that, the state is largely dependent on trucking to deliver fuel supply, including by delivery to ports where ships must sometimes travel over environmentally sensitive estuaries and waterways.
Belvedere Terminals hopes to meet growing demand by providing refined petroleum products to multi-location retailers, moved from refineries in the Gulf region through interstate pipelines to the company’s hub in Collins, Mississippi. From there, the fuel will be delivered via train to Belvedere Terminals storage locations throughout Florida.
The process is meant to improve the state’s supply chain and make Florida less reliant on port deliveries of fuel that are subject to disruption by extreme weather, including hurricanes.
“We are in communication with Florida state leaders and we are hopeful that our company’s mission will benefit Floridians by taking some fuel deliveries off of Florida’s unique and fragile waterways while strengthening the supply chain for fuel,” Cothron added.
3 comments
Jus’ Sayin’
September 19, 2023 at 10:03 pm
Interesting report. The Ormond Beach site is creating tremendous local opposition.
robert woods
September 20, 2023 at 4:37 am
It figures that the idiots who run Florida would be all in for this nonsense. Florida of all places should be eliminating the use of fossil fuels, not facilitating more ways to burn it. I swear Florida elects to dumbest “leaders” anywhere in the world. On top of that ships and barges are both far cheaper and much safer than trains for transporting explosive fuels, if for no other reason than because they travel far away from people’s homes unlike trains. There have been at least 21 major fuel train accidents in the past 10 years. Look up what happened in Lec-Megantic or East Palestine. I’m sure this is yet another way for the evil Republican Party of Florida to enrich themselves at the expense of Floridians and further destroy our environment, which is one of their favorite pastimes.
HARRY WEBSTER
September 20, 2023 at 6:32 pm
What Belvedere is not telling you is that they are trying to put this fuel depot in the middle of 9 residential communities and a mile away from Dinsmore Elementary School.
They also are not telling you about spills that will impact not only the eco system but the water supply in these 9 communities. They also forgot to tell you about the carcinogenic cancer causing fumes that will emit in surrounding communities.
The depot will house over 25 million gallons of toxic gases and fuels.
Take it away from our communities.
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