Baleària to use bio-LNG on three of its ferries

Spanish ferry operator Baleària said it has begun using bio-LNG on three of its ferries.

IMAGE: Baleària's ferry receiving bio-LNG. Baleària

The three vessels – Margarita Salas, Abel Matutes, and Rusadir – with dual-fuel engines, have exclusively used bio-LNG since the beginning of September, the ferry operator said.

The company has procured about 132 GWh of bio-LNG that will be used by the three ferries through December, it said.

“This volume [132 GWh of bio-LNG], supplied over just four months, is equivalent to 13% of the LNG consumed by Baleària’s entire gas-powered fleet in 2024,” Baleària claimed.

Margarita Salas and Abel Matutes operate between Barcelona-Alcúdia-Ciutadella, while Rusadir connects Malaga-Melilla.

Madrid-headquartered energy firm Enagás has supplied the bio-LNG to Baleària, it said.

Enagás' bio-LNG is certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification of the European Union (ISCC EU), and it is produced from industrial and domestic organic waste.

Also known as liquefied biomethane (LBM), bio-LNG consists of approximately 99.8% methane. Biogas is be converted into biomethane by removing CO2, before it can be liquefied and used as bunker fuel.

This composition allows LBM to function as a drop-in fuel for LNG. Vessels capable of running on LNG do not require modifications to operate on pure LBM or LBM-LNG blends.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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