Repsol and Maersk complete the first bioethanol bunkering operation in the Port of Barcelona

Juan Abascal, Repsol’s Executive Managing Director of Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy, said: “With this supply, we reaffirm our commitment to the decarbonisation of maritime transport through solutions that are available today and ready to scale in the future. At Repsol, we provide shipping companies with a reliable supply chain and a multi-energy strategy that combines different renewable fuels to support the sector in a safe, competitive, and sustainable transition.” The supply took place in the Port of Barcelona under fully commercial conditions, bringing together key players across the maritime value chain and demonstrating how collaboration can accelerate the adoption of lower-emission solutions in shipping. 

The delivery was carried out by Bahía Candela, Repsol’s newest bunker vessel, operated by Mureloil and designed to supply both conventional marine fuels and next-generation energy products. During the bunkering operation, Bahía Candela operated using its battery system, enabling the fuel transfer to be completed with zero local emissions, and further reducing the environmental footprint of the operation. 

Prior to the bunkering, Maersk tested ethanol on one of its smaller vessels, the 1,800 TEU feeder vessel Laura Maersk, which in 2023 became the world’s first dual-fuel container vessel able to operate on methanol. Today, Maersk has 23 dual-fuel container vessels designed to operate on methanol; however, the company continues to explore ethanol as an alternative fuel for its methanol-enabled vessels. Laura Maersk has performed sailings on 100% ethanol as well as blends of ethanol and methanol. 

“Following the successful ethanol trials conducted on Laura Maersk, this latest bunkering of Antonia Maersk marks another important step in our efforts to explore scalable low-emission fuel solutions. As the first ethanol trial on one of our large dual-fuel vessels, with a capacity of 16,000 TEU, it allows us to deepen our understanding of ethanol’s operational potential at scale. Building on the experience we have gained with methanol, we are working closely with port authorities and industry partners to develop the infrastructure and procedures needed to support ethanol bunkering. Ethanol is one of several pathways we are pursuing to diversify our future fuel portfolio and help accelerate the development of new, viable liquid marine fuel markets,” said Emma Mazhari, Vice President Energy Markets at Maersk. 

José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona, highlighted: “This operation demonstrates that the Port of Barcelona is ready to support the deployment of new low-carbon fuels at scale, as part of our Energy Transition Plan. As the Mediterranean’s leading logistics and energy hub, we are committed to providing the infrastructure, operational capabilities and collaborative environment needed to accelerate the maritime sector’s decarbonisation. Projects like this show how ports, shipping companies and energy providers can work together to turn the energy transition into a reality.” 

The successful completion of this operation sends a clear message to the industry: alcohol-based marine fuels can already be supplied efficiently and scaled quickly. The experience gained through the collaboration between Repsol, Maersk, Mureloil and the Port of Barcelona provides a practical blueprint for future deployments across the Mediterranean and other strategic maritime hubs.