Bunker and tanker group Peninsula has added to its capacity in the western Mediterranean in a deal with Sweden’s Alba Tankers.
Peninsula told TradeWinds it has time-chartered the 3,500-dwt clean carrier Aalborg (built 2005), an IMO II vessel that will operate from Barcelona.
The ship is capable of supplying 100% biofuels (B100), in contrast to traditional fuel barges that cannot exceed a 25% bio-component, the company said.
The vessel supplies fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) produced from vegetable oils and allows for neutral emissions, depending on the origin of these vegetable oils, it added.
“The Aalborg will play a pivotal role in the Port of Barcelona’s ongoing commitment to promoting cleaner fuel initiatives across the region,” Peninsula said.
The ship was previously reported chartered to Bunker One in Denmark for five years from 2020.
Peninsula, controlled by John Bassadone, has a fleet of 17 bunker tankers, with four more on order in China.
“The importance of having a biofuel supply vessel permitted to supply up to 100% bio-component will provide Port of Barcelona users with a solution to decarbonise their activity and to fully comply with European Union regulations,” said the port’s president, Lluis Salvado.
“The Port of Barcelona, as part of its energy transition plan, is committed to transition and alternative fuels such as LNG, green methanol or green ammonia, as well as biofuels, which will help to reduce the maritime sector’s carbon footprint.”
Alejandro Morales Moreno, supply manager at Peninsula, said the addition of the Aalborg “creates a meaningful new decarbonisation solution for our customers”.
Last year, the group was granted an LNG bunkering operator licence by the government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Port Authority, putting its first LNG bunker vessel newbuilding to work in the area.
The 12,500-cbm Levante LNG will be used to supply customers in the area and at other Mediterranean ports.
