Spain-headed Spain, multi-energy major Compañía Española de Petróleos, S.A.U. (Cepsa), a Mubadala Group company has announced that it has undertaken its largest supply of second-generation biofuels to date at the Port of Barcelona.
Cepsa is also a leading supplier of energy for maritime transport in Spain. This bunkering operation, conducted on a 350-meter-long container vessel operated by Hapag-Lloyd in the Mediterranean, marks the energy company’s inaugural venture in Barcelona and positions the Port of Barcelona as a key player in the decarbonization of maritime transportation.
Derived from used cooking oils (UCO), the supplied biodiesel contains a 24 percent sustainable component, which will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2,860 tonnes compared to conventional marine diesel.
With this supply, Cepsa further solidifies its position as a benchmark in the energy transition and a leader in the supply of energy for maritime transportation.
With over 90 years of experience and a presence in more than 60 Spanish ports, the company continues to lead the way in this sector.
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.
Second-generation biofuels can be used in ships without the need for modifications to their engines, and they have a high potential for reducing CO2emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels, achieving a reduction of up to 90 percent, which makes them an ideal immediate solution. 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 decarbonization challenges, said Samir Fernández, Director of Marine Fuel Solutions at Cepsa.
Aligned with EU and IMO ambitions
The use of biofuels enables shipping companies to stay ahead of the objectives of the European Union (EU) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Specifically, the European Commission’sFit for 55 packageincludes the “Fuel EU Maritime” legislative initiative, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity in maritime transport by 2 percent in 2025, 6 percent in 2030, and 80 percent in 2050, compared to 2020 levels, through the use of sustainable fuels.
Concurrently, the IMO has recently updated its strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in maritime transportation, establishing ambitious targets that will incrementally rise from 20 percent in 2030 to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, compared to 2008 levels.
According to Cepsa, this initiative further underscores the Company’s “unwavering commitment to second-generation biofuels as a catalyst for advancing the decarbonization 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 had previously conducted successful tests of these sustainable fuels within its own fleet, demonstrating optimal engine performance and efficiency.
Green maritime fuels
Cepsa has a diversified portfolio of solutions to facilitate the decarbonization of maritime transport. In addition to biofuels, it includes products such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Moreover, Cepsa will be able to supply synthetic marine fuels, such as green ammonia or methanol, in the future. The company will produce them within the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, the largest green hydrogen project in Europe.
Through its 2030 strategy, “Positive Motion,” Cepsa aims to lead sustainable mobility and promote the decarbonization of heavy transport (air, maritime, and land) through the production of green molecules.
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 2 GW of electrolysis capacity.
