Energy firm Shell has expanded its LNG bunkering network to include the Port of Valencia, Spain, following the successful completion of its first LNG bunkering operation at the facility. The operation involved the supply of liquefied natural gas to an MSC container vessel using a bunker vessel.

The milestone makes LNG available as a marine fuel at Valencia, one of the Mediterranean's busiest container ports, and reinforces Shell's LNG supply capabilities across the region as shipping lines increasingly adopt cleaner-burning fuels to comply with tightening international emissions regulations. The International Maritime Organization has set a strategy to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by or around 2050, and LNG produces lower sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions compared with conventional marine fuels. Shell announced the operation in a LinkedIn post.

"The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marks an important milestone for Spain and further strengthens Shell's LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean," Shell stated.

"As one of the region's key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes," the company added.

Shell acknowledged the contributions of several partners in carrying out the operation, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia, Fratelli Cosulich Group, and other involved parties.

According to Shell's website, the company currently supplies LNG and bio-LNG across 28 locations worldwide and operates a fleet of 16 dedicated LNG bunkering vessels.

In June, Shell projected that global LNG bunker demand would reach 27 million metric tonnes by 2035.

The company indicated that it plans to conduct additional LNG bunker deliveries at Valencia and other Mediterranean ports as the region's bunkering infrastructure continues to develop.

Source: Ship & Bunker