Fuel company Repsol has confirmed the start of construction of an LNG bunker in Bilbao, Spain. The bunker terminal is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2022 and will coincide with the delivery of Brittany Ferries’ first LNG-powered ship, the Salamanca.
The Salamanca will carry out operations between the UK and Spain, with the building of the LNG bunker in Bilbao an important step for the ferry company as it moves toward energy transition and the renewal of its fleet.
The terminal will feature a cryogenic tank with a storage capacity of 1,000m3 permitting the natural gas to be kept in a liquid state at -160°C. As a result of the bunker’s flexible design, it will be able to serve a multitude of different vessels when fully operational. Repsol has already invested more than €10m (US$11.7m) into the project.
“This is welcome news and I applaud Repsol and our port partners in Bilbao for driving this forward,” commented Christophe Mathieu, CEO, Brittany Ferries. “The move to cleaner, green fuels relies on an integrated approach that connects vehicles with fuel suppliers and other important partners like ports. We look forward to the completion of works in the months to come, and to the arrival of our first LNG-powered ship.”
With a second LNG-powered vessel – the Santoña – due to join the Brittany Ferries fleet in 2023, another bunker is being built by Repsol in Santander, where the Port Authority has already started work on the quay where the bunker is to be situated.