Innovation in the supply of bio-LNG ships in the Port of Santander

Project Manager

Repsol, Brittany Ferries and the Port of Santander.

Project description

The Port of Santander has innovated in the supply of Brittany Ferries ships at the passenger terminal with bio-LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas of biological origin), taking an important step towards sustainability.

Repsol has begun to supply bio-LNG in the Port of Santander, from waste from the agri-food industry and agriculture, as well as domestic and urban waste. Bio-LNG is a renewable energy source that reduces CO₂ emissions by almost 100% compared to conventional LNG.

In addition, bio-LNG does not require any type of modification to the ships’ engines and does not affect their performance, as they are capable of running on both LNG and bio-LNG (both fuels have the same chemical composition).

The supply of bio-LNG, in addition to reducing the carbon footprint, favours the port’s competitiveness and reinforces the commitment to global climate objectives, contributing to more sustainable maritime transport.

The renewal of the Brittany Ferries fleet, which began in 2020, will be completed in 2025 with a total of five new vessels, of which four will be powered by LNG and electricity. They are expected to arrive in Europe at the end of this year to carry out their overhaul at the Astillero de Santander, S.A.U (ASTANDER), before starting operations in the spring of 2025.

Project objectives

The main objective of the bio-LNG supply project in the Port of Santander is to reduce polluting emissions from maritime transport, contributing to the sustainability of the sector since the use of bio-LNG produced from organic waste allows a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions.

This new supply helps to make a transition to cleaner energies as it is not necessary to make any modifications to the ships’ engines, nor is their performance affected, since bio-LNG has the same chemical composition as traditional LNG.