Almería port completes first LNG bunker action

the Bahama Mama to navigate with a range of 750 nautical miles. The operation was carried out by ESK, a company specialized in the transport and supply of liquefied natural gas. With the operation, according to the shipping company, “Baleària has reaffirmed its very firm commitment to LNG as fuel for its ships, which allows reducing CO2 emissions by 35%, NOx emissions by 85%, and eliminating sulfur and particles”. In 2021, the shipping company, which operates in the Port of Almería, will have nine vessels with dual natural gas engines, six of them re-motorized and another three newly built. The president of Autoridad Portuaria de Almería (APA – Port Authority of Almería), Jesús Caicedo, attended the start-up of the new service, accompanied by the director of APA, Juan Manuel Reyes, and by personnel from APA. Also, Juan Cabrera, head of bunkering at Baleària, Manuel González, delegate of the shipping company in Almería, Málaga, Melilla and Nador, the captain of the ferry, Alejandro Pérez; Rocío García Sánchez, from Tramita Ingeniería, and Estela Iranzo, technical and security director of ESK. APA has six berthing points which were adapted last July to provide the new service. Jesús Caicedo has stated that “it has been a historic day for the port, and has positively valued the new service,“ since it allows us to offer shipping companies a cleaner and more efficient fuel, and with this we contribute to reducing emissions into the atmosphere and we achieve a more sustainable port area”. The supply of LNG will be carried out with tanker trucks, in an estimated time of 60 minutes each, being prepared for two tanker trucks to operate at the same time by means of a novel system and always adopting all the necessary safety measures. With this new service, in addition to contributing to the sustainability of the port, APA will be able to capture the arrival of shipping companies that have ships that use this fuel. Copyright (C) PortSEurope. All Rights Reserved. 2020.