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Position Paper on Off-the-Boat (OTB) Economics: Why Access to LNG Port Proximity Is an Economic Advantage for Businesses, Manufacturers, and Emerging AI Industries

LNG signing in the 6th P-TEC Conference, Athens, Greece, between American and Greek PPP collaboration.
LNG signing in the 6th P-TEC Conference, Athens, Greece, between American and Greek PPP collaboration.

In the evolving landscape of global energy and manufacturing competitiveness, Off-the-Boat (OTB) Economics is an advantageous defining principle. The concept describes the strategic economic advantage of locating industries—particularly energy-intensive and AI-driven ones—within direct proximity to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminals. As demonstrated by the recent Greek P-TEC (Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation) announcements, nations that link maritime LNG gateways with high-value industrial and digital infrastructure zones are rewriting the rules of industrial policy, energy pricing, and job creation.


At its core, OTB Economics recognizes that distance equals cost. Each mile separating an LNG molecule from the point of combustion introduces frictional losses—both physical and financial—through transportation, pressure conversion, and grid congestion. As discussed extensively by P-TEC speakers on the necessity of maintaining an uninterrupted “vertical highway”, a hydrocarbon distribution pipeline originating in Greece’s LNG ports, as a means to eliminate dependency in Russian natural gas, there are continuing challenges with downstream access to molecules. By placing manufacturing and data-processing facilities “off the boat,” within a few kilometers of regasification or storage terminals, industries can secure first-access rights to lower-cost, lower-loss, and higher-quality molecules to convert to firm electrons. This proximity transforms LNG from a commodity fuel into a platform for economic multipliers.


The Greek P-TEC model is instructive. Anchored near Alexandroupolis and Revithoussa, P-TEC leverages LNG terminals not merely as energy import nodes, but as industrial energy anchors—powering microgrids, hydrogen reformers, and AI-ready data and research campuses. By doing so, Greece converts what was once a cost center—energy logistics—into a competitive advantage, creating thousands of skilled jobs and positioning its ports as continental gateways for AI computing, smart manufacturing, and clean hydrogen production. LNG proximity becomes the linchpin of a new industrial geography where energy availability drives investment, not the other way around.


For businesses and manufacturers, OTB positioning offers measurable benefits. First, energy price stability—direct access to LNG translates to reduced exposure to transmission congestion, capacity charges, and grid volatility. Second, carbon flexibility—LNG-adjacent sites can more efficiently integrate carbon-capture, blending, and hydrogen conversion systems. Third, supply chain resilience—shorter energy logistics chains mean fewer bottlenecks and faster recovery from market or geopolitical shocks. For AI and digital industries, where power density and reliability directly affect compute economics, locating near LNG ports offers unparalleled uptime, cost predictability, and access to cogeneration-based microgrids capable of supporting petawatt-scale data processing.


The macroeconomic effects of OTB Economics extend beyond the factory gate. Every LNG terminal that becomes an energy park can catalyze a regional job-creation flywheel: civil works, electrical manufacturing, engine assembly, additive manufacturing, AI data services, and maintenance ecosystems. These clusters also become magnets for venture capital and cross-border infrastructure investment, uniting traditional heavy industry with next-generation digital sectors. In this sense, OTB proximity doesn’t just move gas—it moves people, data, and capital.


As global energy systems decarbonize, LNG’s transitional role remains vital. Pairing LNG port access with clean microgrids, AI industrial parks, and manufacturing innovation zones ensures that local economies extract full value from every imported molecule. The off-the-boat advantage is not just about cheaper gas—it’s about anchoring prosperity where the ships dock.


In the age of electrification, AI, and reindustrialization, nations that master Off-the-Boat Economics will control more than their energy—they will control their future.

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Position papers are held by Aglow’s executive in by way of responding to and adding perspective to world events through the lenses of an energy provider. These positions are meant to value-add to the conversation, introduce different ideas, and/or comment on existing policies.

 
 
 
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