Itsas Gas – a company owned by the public entity EVE, Naviera Murueta and Remolcadores Ibaizabal – has won its first major contract with Cepsa, the second Spanish oil company, which has started to use its Oizmendi vessel to carry out bunkering operations from ship to ship.
The Oizmendi successfully carried out the pilot test of supply of liquefied gas between ships and supply of LNG to the cement ship Ireland two months ago in the Port of Bilbao.
After this premiere, she has started its commercial activity in the Port of Huelva, contracted by Cepsa to supply LNG, in addition to traditional fuels (fuel oil and gas oil) to other ships.
Cepsa has led the bunkering market in Southern Europe with traditional fuels, with activity in the ports of Las Palmas, Tenerife, Barcelona, Algeciras and Gibraltar; now adds to its business the maritime gas supply from Huelva with the Oizmendi.
By adding the LNG supply Cepsa seeks to anticipate changes in the European regulations on emission control set by the International Maritime Organization, since LNG generates 30% less carbon dioxide emissions than traditional fuels.
On the other hand, the Andalusian port wants to become an intermodal platform of the European South Atlantic. According to industry sources, the EU directive on ship emissions in certain areas will boost bunkering or refueling at sea with liquefied natural gas. At the moment, the activity is concentrated in the North Sea.
With its commitment to the bunkering business, Itsas Gas aims to drag other Basque companies in the maritime and energy industry into the new activity, and to position Basque ports as a route for reference for gas refueling.
Itsas Gas expects to operate from other ports in Spain, subject to demand.
