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Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea ferries to deploy 2G biofuels
In August, Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea ferries will make 84 trips across the Strait of Gibraltar using Cepsa’s second-generation biofuels
This is the first time in Spain passenger ships will use this sustainable fuel, produced at Cepsa’s San Roque Energy Park at Campo de Gibraltar, Cadiz from agricultural waste, and supplied at the Port of Algeciras, making this port facility a leader in the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
Cepsa is supplying this renewable diesel to the Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea ferries that connect Algeciras with Ceuta. To produce this fuel, Cepsa has transformed one of its plants in the San Roque Energy Park, adapting the Isomax unit for production of second-generation biofuels via coprocessing.
Cepsa director of marine fuel solutions Samir Fernández said, “We continue to promote sustainable mobility as one of the pillars of our strategic growth. With initiatives like these and the ones we are rolling out in air and rail transport, we are progressing towards our goal of becoming the leading biofuels producer in Spain and Portugal, while facilitating the decarbonisation of our customers in the maritime sector.”
Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea director of operations and environment Agustín Aguilera said, “At Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea, we are firmly committed to the requirements of the energy transition. This is defined in our carbon footprint reduction plan and we have taken important steps in this direction. We’ve had a natural understanding with Cepsa, which is why we entrusted them with the supply of 2G biofuels that we are already using in our ships in the Strait of Gibraltar and will extend to the rest of our fleet.”
Second-generation biofuels can be used in ships without engine modifications and have a high potential for reducing CO2 emissions compared with conventional fossil fuels. Specifically, during the entire lifecycle, from production to use in ships, CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 90% compared with conventional fossil fuels.
This initiative will avoid more than 63 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of planting 750 trees, and allow Naviera Armas Trasmediterránea ferries to sail from the Port of Algeciras with up to 15% renewable diesel in their tanks, meeting EU targets ahead of time. Specifically, the European Commission’s Fit for 55 package 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 with 2020 levels, by boosting the use of sustainable alternative fuels.
It also supports several of the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - affordable and clean energy; SDG 8 - decent work and economic growth; SDG 12 - responsible consumption and production; and SDG 13 - climate action.
Cepsa and the Port of Algeciras recently participated in the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization in London, where they presented different projects both entities are working on to promote the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
Riviera’s two-day Maritime Decarbonisation, Europe: Conference, Awards & Exhibition 2023 returns to Amsterdam on 26-27 September 2023, seeking to bring clarity to regulatory directions and decarbonisation pathways for both newbuilds and existing vessels
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