LNG

Repsol has inaugurated its second supply terminal for liquefied natural gas bunkering for ships arriving in the northwest Spanish port city of Santander, especially its main customer Brittany Ferries.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by regional authorities and Repsol’s divisional Executive Managing Director Juan Abascal.

The new facility has a cryogenic tank with a storage capacity of 1,000 cubic metres in addition to the terminal that Repsol already has in the nearby port of Bilbao.

“This new terminal, that we have just inaugurated is another step in Repsol's commitment to the energy transition and the decarbonization of the maritime sector,” said Repsol’s Abascal.

Both terminals are part of the collaboration agreement that Repsol signed with French shipping company Brittany Ferries in 2019 for the supply of LNG as maritime fuel for its operations in Spain.

Flexibility

“In the design of the Santander terminal, operational flexibility has prevailed, allowing access for any type of vessel and also covering the needs for LNG refuelling of a medium-sized vessels,” said Repsol.

“In addition, the facility allows the simultaneous loading of passengers and fuel, optimizing operations on land and in maritime traffic, which leads to a reduction of emissions in port operations,” Repsol added.

The Brittany Ferries vessel “Santoña” will carry out regular operations at thr new facility in the port of Santander.

The new terminal is co-financed by the European Commission through the CEF-Connecting Europe Facilities Program.

“Advancing towards a carbon-neutral economy is a key priority of the European Commission,” said Richard Ferrer, Head of the Transport Innovation Team at the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency.

Brittany Ferries, the French line that links the UK with Spain and France, has also been introducing newbuild roll-on-roll-off passenger and freight vessels connecting Portsmouth in England with two French ports.

The Brittany Ferries services cover a dozen ports: Spain’s Bilbao and Santander, the UK’s Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, the Irish port of Cork and the French ports of Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Ouistreham, Saint-Malo and Roscoff.

Brittany Ferries, the French line that links the UK with Spain and France, has signed an LNG fuel supply deal for newbuild roll-on-roll-off passenger and freight vessels connecting Portsmouth in England with two French ports.

French shipping company Brittany Ferries said its third chartered ferry powered by liquefied natural gas has been named the “Santoña” and it expects British passengers to remain its top customers even after the UK leaves the European Union.