The third CORE LNG as hive Conference took place for the promotion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the most sustainable fuel in the transport sector, particularly in shipping. The event was officially opened by Salvador de la Encina, the President of the Spanish Ports Authority; Gerardo Landaluce, the President of the Port of Algeciras Bay Authority (APBA); and Claudio Rodríguez, Enagás Gas Assets General Manager.

The latest developments in the project and the support offered by the European Commission and the Government of Spain for the promotion of the decarbonisation of maritime transport, particularly in ports, were explained at the conference.

The main progress made has been the adaptation and construction of infrastructure and the application of LNG to multimodal transport to enable small-scale and bunkering (ship refuelling) services with LNG to be provided in the Iberian Peninsula.

The president of the Spanish Ports Authority pointed out that Spain and the ports of Spain were “leaders in LNG technology and handling”. He also asserted that “Spain already has the basic infrastructure in place, with six plants in operation at ports, accounting for 40% of the whole of Europe’s storage capacity and 5.35% of the world’s”.

The president of the APBA explained that “Algeciras, through the efforts currently being made, aims to consolidate its position in the future as a leader in the use of liquefied natural gas in the maritime sector”. Gerardo Landaluce highlighted the fact that “Algeciras produced the first supply of LNG as a maritime fuel in the country in 2012, and that it currently supplies LNG by means of tanker trucks. Ships using LNG as their fuel also benefit from the greatest reduction in fees permitted by law. He also stressed the need for a regulatory competitive framework as regards tolls for accessing gas storage (import) plants”.

According to the general manager of Enagás gas assets, “the hive project will allow Spain to lead Europe through the process of energy transition in the maritime sector, a leadership based on the 50-year history of LNG in our country and exceedingly ratified by the development of innovative, competitive and sustainable logistics that will be able to fulfil European directives regarding availability of capacity to serve demand from the sector five years ahead of schedule”.

On behalf of the European Commission, José Fernandez-García, Policy Officer for Ports and Inland Waterways, informed attendees of how Spanish ports could take advantage of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) to obtain finance.

About CORE LNGas hive project

The aim of the CORE LNGas hive project, which is co-funded by the European Commission, is to develop the necessary logistics to drive the supply of LNG as a fuel in the transport sector (particularly maritime transport) in the Iberian Peninsula.

Led by the Spanish Ports Authority and coordinated by Enagás, this project has a total of 42 partners from Spain and Portugal: 8 institutional partners, 13 port authorities and 21 industrial partners — LNG operators, shipbuilders, regasification companies and other companies —.

LNG is the most environmentally friendly fuel. Compared to traditional fuels, it completely eliminates sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions and particles (PM) and substantially reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx). Its use on vessels will help to comply with environmental standards in the maritime sector and advance the decarbonisation process of the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors. This is in line with the European Union's strategy on alternative fuel infrastructures (Clean Power for Transport).

About Enagás

Enagás is the leading company with the largest number of LNG terminals and regasification capacity in Europe. With almost 50 years’ experience and presence in Spain, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Sweden, Enagás is also one of the shareholders of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project. The company is certified as a Transmission System Operator (TSO) by the European Union and is an international benchmark in the development and operation of gas networks. It owns more than 12,000 km of gas pipelines, four strategic storages and eight regasification plants. In Spain, Enagás is the Technical Manager of the Gas System and has developed the country's key gas infrastructures, making it a model within Europe.
Listed on the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market, Enagás is present in the main sustainability indexes such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), for ten years in a row. The company is the world leader of its sector, according to the latest DJSI revision.
Enagás is also committed to the fight against climate change and the decabornisation process, as its infrastructure is ready to transport non-electric renewable energy, such as biomethane and hydrogen. The company also supports energy efficiency and sustainable mobility initiatives.