Energy company Repsol has carried out its first bioethanol bunkering operation for A.P. Moller-Maersk, supplying the fuel to a Maersk container ship at the Port of Barcelona, according to Ship & Bunker.
Repsol said in an emailed statement, as reported by Ship & Bunker, that it delivered 2,800 mt of bioethanol to the dual-fuel container ship Antonia Maersk. The fuel was transferred using the newly introduced hybrid bunker vessel Bahia Candela, which relied on its battery system during the operation, allowing the transfer to be completed without local emissions, Ship & Bunker reported.
First of Its Kind in the Region
According to Ship & Bunker, the delivery marks the first commercial bioethanol bunkering operation at the Port of Barcelona and one of the first such operations in the Mediterranean.
Ship & Bunker had previously reported that Maersk bunkered ethanol on July 9 at APM Terminals Barcelona. That operation followed earlier ethanol trials conducted on Maersk’s 1,800 TEU feeder vessel, Laura Maersk. The Antonia Maersk operation is notable as the first ethanol trial involving one of the company’s larger methanol-capable container ships, which has a capacity of 16,000 TEU, Ship & Bunker noted.
Maersk Comments on Fuel Diversification
Emma Mazhari, Vice President Energy Markets at Maersk, was quoted by Ship & Bunker as saying that ethanol is “one of several pathways” the company is pursuing to diversify its future fuel portfolio. Mazhari added, according to Ship & Bunker, that “following the successful ethanol trials conducted on Laura Maersk, this latest bunkering of Antonia Maersk marks another important step in our efforts to explore scalable low-emission fuel solutions.”
Ship & Bunker also reported that interest in bioethanol as an alternative marine fuel is growing alongside methanol, as the shipping industry searches for additional low-emission fuel options. The report noted that another bioethanol bunkering operation was announced this week involving a CMA CGM dual-fuel container ship supplied at Brazil’s Port of Santos.
Does This Matter to You?
Developments in alternative bunker fuel supply, such as bioethanol, are relevant to vessel operators, bunker traders, and port authorities tracking the expansion of low-emission fuel options for dual-fuel and methanol-capable vessels. As reported by Ship & Bunker, the scaling of ethanol trials to larger vessel classes, such as the 16,000 TEU Antonia Maersk, may signal wider commercial interest in ethanol as a bunker fuel alongside methanol. Ports and terminal operators monitoring infrastructure for alternative fuel bunkering may also find the introduction of battery-powered bunker vessels, such as Bahia Candela, relevant to emissions-related operational planning. The source material does not indicate broader commercial availability or pricing implications for bioethanol at this stage.
Gulf Bunkering does not provide operational or security guidance. This article is for informational purposes only. Operators should consult flag state authorities, P&I clubs, and relevant advisories for decisions relating to transit planning.
Sources: Ship & Bunker
