Spanish ferry company, Baleària has been using bioLNG on board the fast ferry ‘Margarita Salas’, and the ropaxes ‘Abel Matutes’ and ’Rusadir’ since the beginning of September.
Each vessel is fitted with dual gas engines. The company has stored up on 132 GWh of bioLNG, which allows the three vessels to sail emission-free until December, 2025.
This volume, which was supplied in just four months, is equivalent to 13% of the LNG consumed by the entire fleet of natural gas vessels in the whole of last year.By using this fuel, Baleària not only eliminated its carbon footprint on the Barcelona/Alcúdia/Ciutadella and Málaga/Melilla routes, but also generated a positive global carbon balance.
The use of this biofuel, between September and December, will enable the ships to stop emitting 80,300 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking 153,500 cars off the roads or planting 160,650 trees per year.
Biomethane, produced from livestock waste, makes it possible to capture and valorise methane, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, transforming it into energy useful for the vessels.
The supplied biomethane is converted into bioLNG thanks to a conversion service available at Enagás’ regasification plants, which is online in Huelva, Barcelona and Cartagena.
This process makes bioLNG a key energy solution: CO₂ neutral, with a negative carbon balance and with greenhouse gas (GHG) savings of more than 200%, compared to traditional fossil fuels, Baleària claimed.
“The use of bioLNG on our regular routes is a real and verifiable step forward in our commitment to reach net zero emissions,” said Georges Bassoul, Baleària CEO. “The investments made in recent years in our fleet to have dual engines allow us to use this renewable fuel, which prevents the release of greenhouse gases and accelerates de-carbonisation.”
In the first quarter of this year, Baleària had already completed the first tests of the supply of bioLNG in Spanish port terminals and back in 2021, the company made the first de-carbonised voyage in Europe between Barcelona and Menorca.
Baleària has become the first European ferry company to receive the international ISCC EU (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) certification, a standard recognised by the European Commission and internationally that guarantees the traceability and sustainability of the biofuels and other renewable energies that the company uses in its operations.
This was thanks to the proof of sustainability (PoS) system, which certifies its origin, volume and characteristics, including emission savings.
Obtaining an ISCC is in addition to other environmental certifications that Baleària already holds, such as Green Maritime Europe.
