Enagás has bolstered its position as a leading European operator in the decarbonisation of maritime transport through the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG bunkering). The volume of LNG loaded as fuel by Enagás-operated plants in 2023 amounted to 1,359 GWh, over four times the figure achieved in 2021 (300 GWh).
This growth in the use of LNG has made it possible to stop emitting more than 74,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, as well as practically all emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SOx and NOx), improving air quality in port environments.
Enagás has implemented comprehensive solutions by adapting its terminals and building supply barges through its subsidiary Scale Gas, positioning itself as the European operator with the largest aggregate loading capacity.
Success of the public-private partnership
This progress is due to the success of public-private partnership in projects such as CORE LNGas hive and LNGhive2, co-funded by the European Commission. These initiatives, led by Puertos del Estado and coordinated by Enagás, have developed an integrated, safe and efficient logistics chain for the supply of LNG as fuel on the Iberian Peninsula.
The Enagás regasification terminal in Barcelona can carry out direct bunkering operations (pipe to ship, PTS) and, since the Haugesund Knutsen, a vessel co-owned by Knutsen and Scale Gas, began operating in Barcelona in early 2023, it has also been supplying LNG as fuel via small vessels (ship to ship, STS). Thanks to bunkering operations in the Port of Barcelona, 63,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent have already been avoided.
With the start of operations of the Levante LNG vessel, co-owned by Peninsula and Scale Gas, the volume loaded in the first four months of 2024 at the Enagás plant in Huelva has increased by 82% compared to the total supply in 2023. This terminal loads LNG onto STS supply barges and will soon carry out PTS operations. In addition, Scale Gas is building a third LNG and BioLNG supply vessel, with the support of the Spanish Government through Next Generation funds, which will operate mainly in the Canary Islands from 2026.
The Enagás terminal in Cartagena, a pioneer in Europe in offering PTS services, will soon also be able to offer the possibility of carrying out STS operations.
In addition to these three regasification terminals, which are wholly owned by Enagás, the company’s majority-owned terminals in Spain also provide bunkering services: El Musel in Gijón, Saggas in Sagunto and BBG in Bilbao offer Truck to Ship (TTS) services, and the latter also PTS.
Advancing sustainable mobility in Europe
The decarbonisation of maritime transport is moving forward with increasingly ambitious targets. The European Union adopted the European Regulation 2023/1805 in 2023, with annual carbon emission reduction targets, and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) last year revised its strategy to bring carbon neutrality forward to 2050.
Compared to traditional maritime fuels, LNG practically eliminates emissions of sulphur oxide (SOX), while also reducing nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions by 80-90% and CO2 emissions by 20-30%. CO2 emissions can be reduced by about two million tonnes by 2030, by using LNG as a maritime fuel in Spain. This would be equivalent to replacing more than one million combustion vehicles with electric vehicles.
Faced with a growing demand for bunkering, Enagás is offering new solutions to ensure a cleaner and more sustainable future in maritime transport, increasing its abatement capacity - emissions reduction - by promoting operations based on BioLNG.
