Barcelona makes a name for itself in biofuel supply

This delivery by Cepsa, a leading supplier of energy for maritime transport in Spain, was conducted on a 350-metre long container vessel operated by Hapag-Lloyd in the Mediterranean, marks the energy company’s inaugural venture in Barcelona.

“Second-generation biofuels can be used in ships without the need for modifications to their engines and they have a high potential for reducing CO2 emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels, achieving a reduction of up to 90%, which makes them an ideal immediate solution,” said Samir Fernández, director of Marine Fuel Solutions at Cepsa.

”That’s why we want to make them available in all the ports in which we operate and lead their production in this decade to help our customers meet their own decarbonisation challenges.”

Emissions reduction

Currently, the energy company can supply these sustainable fuels by barge in the Port of Barcelona and the area of the Strait of Gibraltar and by tanker in all the ports in which it operates.

Cepsa’s biodiesel contains a 24% sustainable component, which can prevent the emission of 2,860 tons of CO2, equivalent to planting 34,300 trees. This biofuel has been produced from used cooking oils.

Cepsa said that this initiative further underscores its commitment to second-generation biofuels as a catalyst for advancing the decarbonisation of maritime transportation.

It complements other recent supply efforts, including this summer’s supplies for 84 ferry voyages by Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea at the Port of Algeciras, as well as the recent supply operation in Algeciras using the hybrid supply vessel ’Bahía Levante’.

The company has previously conducted successful tests of these sustainable fuels within its own fleet, demonstrating optimal engine performance and efficiency.

In addition to biofuels, Cepsa also supplies LNG. In the future, it said it will be able to supply synthetic marine fuels, such as green ammonia or methanol, which will be produced within the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, the largest green hydrogen project in Europe.

The company aspires to be the leading biofuel producer in Spain and Portugal by 2030, with a production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes annually and green hydrogen, with 2GW of electrolysis capacity.