Cepsa starts biofuel supply to Norwegian Cruise Line at Barcelona port

Spanish marine fuel supplier Cepsa has started delivering second-generation biofuels to the cruise industry at the Port of Barcelona. Norwegian Escape, a cruise ship, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), received the first supply in late July.

According to Cepsa, the supplied fuel, produced from used cooking oils, contains a 24% sustainable component that will prevent the emission of approximately 3,000 tons of CO2.

The company also supplied biofuel to another two NCLH-operated vessels, Seven Seas Voyager and Oceania Riviera, at the beginning of August.

Further supplies have been confirmed for the coming months, with biofuels available on a regular basis from the ports of Barcelona and Algeciras.

Samir Fernández, Director of Marine Fuel Solutions at Cepsa, commented: “We are delighted that second-generation biofuels are now being harnessed by the cruise industry as they embark on their decarbonization journey. Marine fuels can be used in ships without the need for modifications to their engines, and they have a high potential for reducing CO2 emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels, achieving a reduction of up to 90% throughout their life cycle, which makes them an ideal immediate solution.”

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is focusing its attention on ensuring that the sector has sufficient access to low-carbon fuels for pursuing net zero-carbon cruising by 2050. According to CLIA’s latest State of the Cruise Industry Report, in 2023, over 31 million people globally chose to take a cruise, with over 8 million in Europe. With the sector rebounding significantly after COVID, enabling meaningful and rapid decarbonization is key, the association argues, noting that the sector’s use of alternative fuels, including biofuels, hydrogen, ammonia, and electricity, will need to increase.

The use of biofuels is expected to enable shipping companies to meet the objectives of the European Union and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), specifically, the Fit for 55 package that includes the “Fuel EU Maritime” legislative initiative, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity in maritime transport by 2% in 2025, 6% in 2030 and 80% in 2050, compared to 2020 levels, through the use of sustainable fuels.

In addition to biofuels, Cepsa expects to supply synthetic marine fuels, such as green ammonia or methanol, in the future, to be produced at the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley being developed in southern Spain as one of the largest green hydrogen projects in Europe.