{"id":11020,"date":"2017-07-12T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/portstrategy.nfdtesting.uk\/greenport\/2017\/07\/12\/the-lng-advantage\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T15:04:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T14:04:25","slug":"the-lng-advantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/news\/cruise-greenport\/the-lng-advantage\/","title":{"rendered":"The LNG advantage"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of Europe\u2019s busiest hubs for cruise traffic and tourism, the Port of Barcelona is no stranger to sustainability pressures. With ever larger vessels scheduling calls, there is growing concern regarding the local environmental impacts of the cruise sector, from air emissions to waste disposal and more.<\/p>\n

In 2016, a total of 121 cruise ships visited the Catalan capital, representing more than 750 calls and bringing 2.6 million cruise passengers to the city. According to research conducted by the Barcelona Regional Urban Development Agency, cruise ships emit around 700 tonnes of NOx and 60 tonnes of PM10 annually, generating 1.2% of the city\u2019s air pollution by NOx and 0.23% of its PM10 levels. They account for 12% of the emissions from Barcelona\u2019s port activity.<\/p>\n

In November 2016, the Port of Barcelona unveiled an ambitious Air Quality Improvement Plan, which aims to reduce harmful emissions from port activities by encouraging and facilitating the use of LNG for visiting vessels. Cleaner ships also receive discounts on port fees.<\/p>\n

LNG focus<\/strong><\/p>\n

The focus on LNG is of particular interest to the cruise sector, which is under pressure to reduce its environmental impact. Many operators see LNG as a solution for the medium term, since it can provide reductions of 80% in NOx emissions for ships while eliminating particulate and SOx emissions.<\/p>\n

The growth in design and retrofit of vessels for LNG means that ports which can offer a reliable supply of the fuel are particularly attractive to cruise customers. With a substantial existing LNG infrastructure dating back decades, Barcelona has a strong advantage over many other ports in this regard. Having entered service in 1969, the port\u2019s Enag\u00e1s regasification plant is the oldest working plant of its kind in Europe and with a capacity of almost 840,000 m3<\/sup>, it is well equipped to keep up with demand. Enag\u00e1s is a regulated company which specialises in the storage of the gas, which will be provided to cruise operators by the main fuel companies active in the region.<\/p>\n