Port of Barcelona hosts first bioethanol bunkering operation

Repsol has completed the first bioethanol bunkering operation of its kind

at the Port of Barcelona, supplying 2,800 tonnes to the Maersk container vessel

Antonia Maersk.

The operation is among the first of its kind in the Mediterranean and forms

part of Repsol’s multi-energy strategy, which combines conventional marine

fuels, renewable fuels and emerging low-carbon solutions to support customers’

decarbonisation efforts.

Juan Abascal, Executive Managing Director of Industrial Transformation and

Circular Economy at Repsol, said: “With this supply, we reaffirm our commitment

to the decarbonisation of maritime transport through solutions that are

available today and ready to scale in the future. At Repsol, we provide shipping

companies with a reliable supply chain and a multi-energy strategy that combines

different renewable fuels to support the sector in a safe, competitive, and

sustainable transition.”

The bunkering took place under fully commercial conditions, delivered by

Bahía Candela, Repsol’s newest bunker vessel, operated by Mureloil and designed

to handle both conventional and next-generation marine fuels. The vessel

completed the transfer using its battery system, resulting in zero local

emissions during the operation.

The operation follows earlier ethanol trials by Maersk on Laura Maersk, the

1,800 TEU feeder vessel that became the world’s first dual-fuel container vessel

able to run on methanol in 2023.

As of 15 July, Maersk operates 23 dual-fuel methanol-enabled container

vessels, though the company continues to assess ethanol as an alternative fuel

across its fleet.

José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona, said: “This

operation demonstrates that the Port of Barcelona is ready to support the

deployment of new low-carbon fuels at scale, as part of our Energy Transition

Plan. As the Mediterranean’s leading logistics and energy hub, we are committed

to providing the infrastructure, operational capabilities and collaborative

environment needed to accelerate the maritime sector’s decarbonisation.”