The Port of Barcelona has hosted its first ship-to-ship biofuel supply operation, led by Mein Schiff Relax, the first LNG dual-fuel cruise ship owned by Hamburg-based TUI Cruises.
The operation was conducted on July 26, when Shell-chartered bunkering vessel Haugesund Knutsen supplied 1,875 cubic meters (cbm) of bioLNG to Mein Schiff Relax. The biofuel was sourced from the Enagás regasification plant at the Energy Wharf at the port.
The ship-to-ship bioLNG bunkering of the Mein Schiff Relax – TUI Cruises’ first LNG-powered ship – at the Port of Barcelona is also said to mark a key milestone in delivering the company’s Climate Protection Roadmap, based on four main levers: the increased use of alternative fuels, green shore power, energy efficiency, and optimized voyage planning.
According to the Port of Barcelona, this was the second bioLNG supply operation carried out at the port. In March, the shipping company Baleària loaded bioLNG onto one of its vessels using a tanker truck, unlike the ship-to-ship operation, which speeds up the loading operation, increasing the amount of fuel loaded by more than 15 times.
BioLNG, or liquefied biomethane, is considered a sustainable fuel by the European Commission (EC) due to its production process from organic waste. Utilizing this waste allows for a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by between 70% and 100%, depending on the origin of the organic matter, throughout the production and consumption cycle.
“BioLNG has the same characteristics as fossil LNG, so it can be used by any ship equipped to operate with LNG, such as the most modern cruise ships operating at the Port of Barcelona, which are regularly supplied with LNG—specifically 23% of the calls registered in 2024,” the port said.
“Transitioning from a transitional fuel like fossil LNG, which reduces CO2 emissions by 20% compared to traditional fuel, to a sustainable fuel like bioLNG represents a significant qualitative leap in the energy transition process and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the freight transport sector, especially in maritime transport.”