Gas Natural Fenosa, Baleària Sign LNG Bunkering Deal
Spanish liquefied natural gas (LNG) operator Gas Natural Fenosa signed an exclusive 10-year LNG supply deal with Spanish ferry operator Baleària.
According to the company release, the supply contract will initially apply to the ports of Barcelona, Valencia and Algeciras, then extended to all the peninsular ports operated by the shipping company together with the entire new fleet powered by this fuel committed to using LNG as an ecological fuel.
The president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, and the Wholesale Iberian Marketing Manager of GAS NATURAL FENOSA, Joaquín Mendiluce, this morning signed this agreement at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Madrid. The contract between the energy company and Baleària is the first permanent, multi-system bunkering contract for LNG ship propulsion signed in the Iberian Peninsula.
To implement the supply to Barcelona under the contract signed today it will have a ship assigned to LNG bunkering in the Port of Barcelona. In the case of Valencia and Algeciras, both companies are already working on a land-based solution.
“In our commitment to LNG the agreement with Gas Natural Fenosa represents a strategic alliance. We are currently building the first two ships powered by this clean energy to operate in the Mediterranean. The first is scheduled to come into operate at the beginning of this year, which makes us pioneers in the use of LNG. We are committed to clean energy as we are convinced it is possible to fight climate change while also being competitive” says Adolfo Utor, the president of Baleària.
“At Gas Natural Fenosa we work to offer solutions that enable sustainable development of sea freight. The agreement we have reached with Baleària is proof of this as we have designed a different technical solution for each of the ports at which we will manage gas supplies. Thanks to the teamwork between Gas Natural Fenosa and Baleària, we have succeeded in identifying the solutions to achieve a very important improvement in air quality at competitive costs”, explained Mendiluce.
Gas Natural Fenosa and Baleària have worked together for several years on developing innovative solutions to help enhance the environment in port and maritime environments.
In addition to the more than 119 ships currently powered by natural gas there is an order portfolio for 125 new ships from now to 2025. The world fleet powered by LNG is increasing at a pace of between 15 and 25% a year, so should this trend continue in 2025 there may exist a worldwide fleet of 300 to 600 ships. It is estimated that in 2035, 22% of total bunkering consumption will be LNG.
