· Gijón Port hosted the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project conference on decarbonisation and sustainability in maritime transport
· The conference was inaugurated by the Chairman of Spanish Ports Authority, Salvador de la Encina, the Director General of Energy, Mining and Reactivation of the Principality of Asturias, María Belarmina Díaz, and the Chairman of the Gijón Port Authority, Laureano Lourido
· LNG removes 100% of sulphur oxide (SOX) emissions, 80 to 90% of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and 20 to 30% of CO2 emissions
· The experts highlight the potential of Gijón Port in the development of sustainable maritime transport
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is, today, the only real and sustainable alternative to move forward in the decarbonisation of maritime transport, according to experts present at the “Bunkering LNG: decarbonisation and maritime sustainability” conference as part of the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project.
Compared to other conventional fuels, LNG completely eliminates sulphur oxides (SOx), between 80 to 90% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and between 20 to 30% of CO2 emissions, which helps to comply with the increasingly strict environmental standards in the maritime sector and to advance in the process of decarbonisation of the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors, in line with the European Union strategy on alternative fuel infrastructures (Clean Power for Transport).
The ‘LNGHIVE2’ project, which is a continuation of the ‘CORE LNGas hive’, is spearheaded by Spanish Ports Authority and has 47 partners from Spain and Portugal. This initiative promotes the supply of LNG as fuel in the transport sector, especially maritime transport, with more than 39 projects and overall investment of 139 million euros and European co-financing of 39 million euros.
This initiative has made it possible to adapt the Spanish regasification plants for supply of LNG to ships, including the start-up of supply barges, tugs, cranes and LNG-powered electric generators, among other developments. As a result of this project, the volume of LNG bunkering in Spain during 2019 has reached 68,500 m3.
In the conference presentation, the Chairman of Spanish Ports Authority, Salvador de la Encina, stressed that “the commitment of Spanish ports, as infrastructure managers, is to work on guaranteeing the supply of LNG in our ports in an efficient and safe way and to facilitate the development of the market over the next decade. And we will continue to support projects that enable LNG to be supplied at a competitive price that favours the achievement of stable supply agreements between traders and shipping companies”. He also went on to say that “we will continue to work on regulating the service to provide a suitable framework for the development of the LNG supply activity in our ports”.
The presentation also featured participation from the Director General of Energy, Mining and Reactivation of the Principality of Asturias, María Belarmina Díaz, and the Chairman of the Gijón Port Authority, Laureano Lourido, who pointed out that “Gijón Port is set to play a major role in the development of sustainable maritime transport”. Lourido added that “we have been working on this for some time now, we have adequate infrastructures, as well as the capacity and resources to turn what is today a firm commitment into a reality as expeditiously as possible”.
Along these lines, the CEO of Enagás, Marcelino Oreja, pointed out that “LNG is the only existing option to decarbonise heavy transport, especially maritime transport, in order to meet the greenhouse effect emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2050”. In this regard, he stressed that “our LNG plants are pioneers in bunkering and ship refuelling”.
The Conference was also attended by Adolfo Utor, the Chairman of Balearia, a company that is committed to the use of LNG in its shipping fleet, and Carlo Coppola, Project Officer of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), which manages the European Commission’s transport, energy and telecommunications programmes, as well as several representatives of other European projects supporting sustainable mobility.
About the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project and the ‘LNGHIVE2’ Strategy
The aim of the ‘CORE LNGas hive project’, which is co-funded by the European Commission, is to develop the necessary logistics to drive the supply of LNG as a fuel in the transport sector (particularly maritime transport) in the Iberian Peninsula. Led by the Spanish Ports Authority and coordinated by Enagás, the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project has a total of 42 partners from Spain and Portugal. It is a public-private initiative with 21 public partners, of which 8 are institutional and 13 are port authorities (including the Gijón Port Authority), and 21 industrial partners, such as shipping companies, LNG operators and service providers.
The ‘LNGHIVE2’ strategy, designed as a continuance of the ‘CORE LNGas hive’ project, develops liquefied natural gas infrastructures for transport such as gas stations and LNG-powered vessels, among others.
