Spain’s Cepsa launches multi-product bunker vessel

Spanish gas company Cepsa presented on Thursday what it claims is the first multi-product marine fuel supply vessel in southern Europe.

The vessel, based in the port of Huelva, will provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) via a ship-to-ship method, in addition to traditional fuels such as HFO and diesel, and is also equipped with mass flow meter technology.

The new multipurpose vessel named Oizmendi has two 300-cbm LNG tanks installed onboard and is able to supply 1,900 tons of fuel oil and 470 tons of diesel, according to Cepsa that is owned by Mubadala Investment Company Group.

To remind, the vessel had already earlier this year completed a ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation to the LNG-fueled cement carrier, Ireland in the Spanish Bilbao port.

The Oizmendi, formerly known as Monte Arucas, was converted to a bunkering barge also becoming Spain’s first LNG supply vessel.

This new initiative is part of the CORE LNGas Hive project, launched by the European Commission to promote the use of gas as a fuel for transport contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the Atlantic and Mediterranean European maritime corridors.

Cepsa says that this vessel strengthens its position in bunker supply in Spain, where it sells more than 11,000 tons annually, representing a market share of over 50%.