How Georgia facility factors into natural gas crisis triggered by Iran war

SAVANNAH ― Mariners along the Savannah River often navigate via familiar landmarks, such as the iconic Talmadge Bridge, the brick citadels of Fort Pulaski and Old Fort Jackson, the erector-set-like cranes at the Georgia Ports Authority terminals and, of course, the Tybee Island lighthouse.

Then there’s the cluster of mammoth, blue holding tanks that loom above the surrounding marshlands downstream from Savannah’s historic downtown.

skeew ,raw lativ eerht esoht eht eht eht eht ,lanimret sknat reilppus sezeeuqs trap ylno eno fo fo fo enin wen larutan deifeuqil otni ylgnisaercni ni sag morf stropxe tropxe ygrene gnitcartta .noitnetta sa era era dna na detinU yehT setatS ylraeN elddiM dnalsI narI narI ablE .tsaE )GNL(

.sraey s’dlrow hcihw ciffart ot eht eht eht eht taht ekat ,ylppus sekirts gnippihs lareves sriaper cifilorp no lio fo fo fo gnirobhgien ylraen larutan tsom elissim ni ni sah detlah labolg sag htfif sdleif ytilicaf stropxe detamiced dluoc stcennoc tniopekohc noillib neeb dna dna a a a ,yadsendeW tiartS ,rataQ .naecO tsoM GNL narI naidnI ,zumroH dnA ediw-elim-12 02$

An aerial image shows Southern LNG Company’s liquefied natural gas tanks visible above the Savannah River on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

eW“ tI“ sraey gniyrrow lliw nehw erew ot meht eht taht ekat noitautis elacs dias ”.revocer .nepo no no no fo fo won larutan rettam evissam stekram ti si si erutcurtsarfni fi tih evah tsedrah sag rof mrif trepxe ygrene t’nseod noitcurtsed lacitirc gnitlusnoc ”,cihportsatac gniredrob ta saera dna dna na tsomla a a ehT tiartS nadipaR ,notnuM zumroH .ygrenE xelA

― ― erew .raw owt esoht eht eht eht ecruos ,yas srecudorp secirp gnitarepo no fo raen larutan larutan snoitan tsegral ni ni ni s’ebolg ,sag sag seitilicaf dneped gnibmilc yticapac erofeb sa sa era dna dna dna stsylana ydaerla a .S.U rataQ eporuE seirtnuoC ailartsuA aisA

— ,raey snot snot ot eht yraidisbus serots llams erahs snur denwoner ytilibailer decudorp detarepo fo fo noillim noillim tekram ,seifeuqil sti ti si sag rof mrif stropxe yreve yllacitsemod ,yticapac yb tub ta .yllaunna dna sisylana gnidrocca a s’tahT nrehtuoS larutaN nagroM ,GNL redniK ,dnalsI .ecnegilletnI saG ablE ablE %79 5.2 521

ehT“ yrevE“ dlrow lliw ot gniht eht .dias thgir .ylbailer mrofrep ”.tuo ”,won tsom elttil flesti si ni ni tnatropmi spleh pleh rof seitilicaf tib dna dna tahT saxeT notnuM anaisiuoL ablE

t’now yawrednu snot ot ot eht .mret sllaftrohs tcejorp raen noillim tnaem si ni pleh noisnapxe yticapac tub tsoob sserdda s’ablE nA 9.2

A ship is seen being loaded at Southern LNG Company’s liquefied natural gas facility on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Savannah. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

.raey htiw sreknat gnilias sesahcrup fo tnaig morf ygrene hcae lla tuoba llehS hannavaS ,GNL s’ablE hctuD 05

htiw eht dias stseuqer laiciffo ton .stnemevom .sweivretni rof tropxe seod esolcsid denilced ynapmoc dna llehS llehS slaiciffO nagroM GNL redniK A

tahw ot eht elor wonk .yrtsudni ni esle tuoba GNL s’ereH s’aigroeG

Savannah terminal is half-a-century old

erehw .tnorfretaw eht eht eht eht ecnis ecno fo larutan dekram eniram rojam detacol lairtsudni sah deldnah sag ytilicaf egde tsomnretsae stuc ,sdaorssorc ta dna ssorca a yawretaW s’hannavaS hannavaS .reviR s’tI latsaocartnI ablE 2791 erca-041

saw owt ot ot eht lanimret ylppus .sreilppus etats yllacificeps deviecer depip fo edam ti ti .elbisaefni desaercni ni gnitropmi tropmi suoesag sag morf morf rof yllaicnanif ,ytilicaf tnamrod .sedaced detrevnoc desaec tliub sa sa dna dna na a .S.U ehT yllanigirO snoitarepO htroN GNL GNL ablE ,adanaC ,aciremA ,aireglA 0891

From imports to exports

eht .lanimret tnacifingis detfihs denepoer ekauq erom tekram dial ni ,stropmi rof rof tub dna daeha niaga a ehT hannavaS ablE 1002

s’dlrow erew llew ot neht eht eht eht eht elahs kcor kcor esaeler recudorp larutan larutan sevlovni otni ni ni .sag sag gnirutcarf gnikcarf sdleif gnillird derevocsid .moob emaceb sa sa dna dna dima .S.U ehT saxeT .oN tsewdiM .anaisiuoL egraL gnikcarF 9002 1

saw saw stinu ot ,emit eht eht taht lanimret ylppus gnitrats os tsubor delooter detarepo ylno enilno eno .etis-no won noitacifiuqil ni ni ni stropmi sah morf ytilicaf stropxe tropxe detrevnoc emac dna .S.U ehT s’ablE ablE tA naciremA 9102 .6102 01

One of the Southern LNG Company’s liquefied natural gas tanks is shown from the Savannah River. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

tsew ot hguorht eht eht eht eht seires tnes ,senilepip fo fo fo tsal tsuj si sag .ytilicaf gnissorc mottob gnola a hannavaS reviR larutaN ablE

― ― pu ot ot semit eht etats desrever seriuqer ssecorp larutan sunim enahtem sti si tropmi suoesag sag sag morf .seitilicaf ylisae .seerged gnilooc sesserpmoc yb ta dna osla ehT gniyfeuqiL 006 062

Elba is strategically located

rednu owt meht eht eht eht naht ,slanimret .gninnalp rehto ro ylno eno no fo fo enin tsom si ni ni ni ytilicaf seitilicaf tropxe nezod tnempoleved noitcurtsnoc era dna gnola a .S.U ehT hannavaS htroN eroM fluG tsaE ,tsaoC ,tsaoC .aciremA 11

sraey t’now lliw litnu ot ot eerht eht eht taht ,slanimret sekat hcus .dias stcejorp eno fo wen muminim dehcnual elacs-egral ni tnemnrevog sag ylluf ytilicaf tropxe snoisnapxe gnitsixe elbuod ,yticapac ,dliub emoceb elbaliava ta ta sa dna dna hguohtla .ycnega lanoitidda gnidrocca a a a .S.U .S.U notnuM rojaM GNL GNL ,dnalsI noitamrofnI ,revewoH ygrenE ablE ,noitartsinimdA ,9202 5202 3202

The fallout from Iran war’s LNG interruptions

hcihw ot eht eht eht eht ylppus secruos gnikees gninoitar sedivorp .rewop fo fo fo larutan s’noitan ylegral dnalsi si si ,noitpurretni og sag stropxe seirtnuoc esuaceb dna dna gnola lanoitidda tuoba nawiaT .miR cificaP naecO elddiM ,GNL GNL naidnI aidnI tsaE %04

htiw htiw gnicruos ecnis .esnopser tnailer secirp rehto no fo fo larutan snoitan snoitan ssel dehcnual noisavni ni hgih evah gnilpparg sag tub ttocyob neeb era dna dna deilla a .eniarkU eniarkU s’aissuR naissuR irataQ GNL ynamreG naeporuE 2202

An aerial image shows Southern LNG Company’s liquefied natural gas tanks visible above the Savannah River. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)