Enagás subsidiary Scale Gas has received funding from the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to boost the construction of a bunkering vessel for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and BioLNG in the Canary Islands. This subsidy, which is channelled through the Support for Sustainable and Digital Transport Programme, is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
This project, ‘Net Zero hive Canarias’ is part of the ‘Net Zero hive’ initiative promoted by Enagás in its commitment to sustainability and energy transition and to promote decarbonisation in the maritime sector. The project also contributes to the deployment of the institutional strategy LNGhive2, led by Puertos del Estado, for the development of LNG bunkering supply in ports in compliance with the obligations established in Directive 2014/94 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.
The vessel will have a capacity of 12,500m3 for bunkering alternative fuels - LNG and BioLNG - and will be put into operation for use by shippers from June 2025. In addition, it could be adapted for the supply of ammonia as a marine fuel, which would allow the use of hydrogen as a carrier for the decarbonisation of transport.
As the promotor, Scale Gas will receive a total of 15 million euros - the total financial support requested - and plans to start construction of the vessel from June 2023.
Puerto de Las Palmas.
About the Net Zero hive initiative
The goal of ‘Net Zero hive’, which is a continuation of the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project and the ‘LNGhive2’ strategy and is aligned with European policies to accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime-port sector, is to promote the use of port infrastructures to foster more sustainable energy sources.
Specifically, it proposes to adapt the regasification plants in Spanish ports and other facilities in the port’s area of influence to favour the production of low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen, bio-LNG or synthetic methane.
Along this line, the ‘LNGhive2’ strategy has several active projects, including the construction of two LNG bunkering vessels: one will shortly operate in Barcelona and the other in Algeciras from the end of 2023.
Coordinated drive for the energy transition
‘Net Zero hive’ is yet another example of the ongoing public-private partnership that favours the promotion of decarbonised fuels such as BioGNL.
LNG is an energy that will play a key role in the energy transition to zero-emission alternatives in maritime transport, according to the European Union in its FuelEU Maritime regulation, especially at a time like the present when there is no economically viable zero-emission powertrain technology.
Projects for the supply of low-carbon fuels to maritime transport and other port applications respond to the requirements of the aforementioned Directive 2014/94/EU, currently under revision, and the Fit For 55 and FuelEU Maritime regulatory packages.
In addition, maritime transport accounts for around 75% of the EU’s external trade and 31% of its internal trade in terms of volume. It is the most environmentally friendly form of mobility, with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of goods transported than other forms of transport.
Puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
