Baleària, Axpo: First bioLNG operations completed at Enagás terminals

Spanish ferry operator Baleària and compatriot renewable energy supplier Axpo Iberia have wrapped up the first bioLNG bunkering operations at the two Enagás terminals in Huelva and Barcelona.

The operations come after Enagás recently said it was ready to launch bio-LNG supply at its two regasification terminals, in line with the Spanish energy company’s efforts to contribute to achieving European decarbonization objectives.

On March 3, 2025, the Huelva terminal supplied the Port of Málaga, where Baleària operates the Málaga to Melilla route with the Rusadir, an electric and dual gas-powered ferry that joined the company in late 2023.

On March 6, bioLNG was supplied from the Barcelona terminal to the 2024-delivered LNG dual-fuel fast ferry Margarita Salas which connects Barcelona with Mallorca and Menorca.

As explained, bunkering the ships directly with bioLNG was possible thanks to the adaptation of the terminals to process bioLNG, which is obtained from biomethane injected into the gas network and processed in liquid form. In this sense, Baleària and Axpo have demonstrated the viability of creating green corridors between European ports, or even connecting two continents, as in the case of the voyage in the Alboran Sea.

The biomethane supplied and certified by Axpo comes from the treatment of agricultural waste at the Noguera Renovables plant (Lleida), the first in Spain to produce biomethane from cattle manure, and from the use of organic waste at the Valdemingómez Technology Park (Madrid).

“This new milestone demonstrates Axpo’s firm commitment to the decarbonisation of maritime transport, opting for biomethane and bioLNG as alternative fuels to help meet European energy transition objectives,” Jacobo Canseco, Director of Green Energy at Axpo Iberia, highlighted.

Baleària’s General Manager, Georges Bassoul, pointed out that these supplies represent another step towards Baleària’s objective of reducing its carbon footprint. He added that, four years ago, Baleària already made the first pilot voyage with a fast ferry powered by 100% renewable fuel.

Back in 2021, Baleària’s LNG-powered ferry Eleanor Roosevelt made a test crossing using renewable biomethane certified by Axpo Iberia. This represented an important milestone for zero-emission shipping as, for the first time in Europe, a high-speed ferry crossed the route of 133 nautical miles between Barcelona and Ciutadella using only fuel made from 100 percent renewable sources.

“The plan is to increase the use of this energy in our fleet, which will allow us to make decarbonised trips,” Bassoul continued.

Baleària has an eco-efficient fleet strategy with dual gas engines, a technology that it has been investing in for almost a decade and that also allows it to consume 100% biomethane, as well as green hydrogen blends of up to 25%. In this sense, the shipping company has a fleet of eleven ships with dual gas engines and has pioneered the use of electric energy with two electrically propelled vessels.

In January this year, the shipping company embarked on a project to implement the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco, which will be served by two 100% electric, zero-emission fast ferries. In the future, the entire route between Europe and Africa will be crossed by the two ships using electric energy only.