Puertos del Estado promotes improved Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering services for ships
- President Gustavo Santana reaffirms the commitment to advancing LNG bunkering as “an essential part of the energy transition” and improving key aspects such as inter-administrative coordination.
10-06-2025 (Puertos del Estado). Puertos del Estado held a technical workshop today focused on the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to ships, with the aim of identifying and promoting proposals to enhance the efficiency and standardization of this process within the state-owned port system.
The president of Puertos del Estado, Gustavo Santana, opened the session by emphasizing “our firm commitment, as well as that of the entire Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, to the development of LNG bunkering as an essential part of the energy transition in the port sector.” “To consolidate this progress, it is crucial to continue improving key aspects such as streamlining administrative procedures and optimizing coordination among Administrations—challenges that Puertos del Estado is already actively addressing, as this will enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of the Spanish port system and its contribution to more sustainable transport,” he stressed.
Victor Jiménez, President of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council, highlighted “Spain’s leadership in LNG supply infrastructure—it ranks second in Europe—and also holds a prominent position in terms of the number of operations, with nearly 3,800 recorded in 2024.” He also underlined the importance of having “a clear roadmap to advance the regulatory framework for LNG supply and other alternative fuels in Spanish ports.”
The workshop also featured participation from LNG bunkering service providers and users, including Gasnam, Shell, Molgas, and Balearia, as well as bunkering managers from ports of general interest and maritime captains.
The work plan agreed upon during the meeting includes the establishment of a permanent forum to continue promoting LNG bunkering traffic in ports. In addition, working groups will be created and three key documents will be drafted: a model specification to serve as a reference for Public Administrations, technical instructions, and guidance materials. All work will be carried out in coordination between the General Secretariat for Air and Maritime Transport, the Maritime Administration, and Puertos del Estado.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is an alternative fuel supporting the energy transition in maritime transport, currently experiencing significant growth driven by decarbonization commitments and the availability of infrastructure for its handling and storage. Spanish ports of general interest have enhanced infrastructure for this type of fuel, including regasification terminals, pipe-to-ship and ship-to-ship supply systems, and facilities for truck-to-ship bunkering.