United European Car Carriers (UECC) performed the first-ever ship refuelling operation in Spain with a truck-borne shipment of liquefied biomethane (LBM) to widen access to supplies of the sustainable fuel and boost the country’s circular economy.
The delivery allows the company to diversify its regional sources of supply for LBM beyond its main hub of Zeebrugge where it has a long-term supply agreement in place with Titan Clean Fuels. Another aspect of this diversification is that it also represents the first physical molecule delivery of the fuel as UECC explores multiple alternative delivery pathways to broaden its LBM portfolio.
In addition, UECC is boosting uptake of the fuel, also known as bioLNG, in line with expansion of its Sail for Change sustainability initiative launched in summer 2024 in which LBM is being bunkered on the company’s five dual and multi-fuel LNG PCTCs for several major vehicle manufacturers to cut their Scope 3 emissions.
During the event at the Port of Vigo, the president of the port oversaw the process as green energy developer Naturgy supplied LBM from a biomethane production plant in the surrounding Galicia province. The LBM was pumped directly from a tanker truck into the tanks of UECC’s multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid Pure Car and Truck Carrier, Auto Advance.
This is an important step as it is the first time LBM has been delivered by truck to ship in the whole of Spain. We view Spain as a promising market for biomethane production and so it’s great to get this first delivery over the line.
…said Daniel Gent, Energy & Sustainability Manager, UECC.
Moreover, as well as contributing to its customers’ decarbonisation efforts, UECC is providing fuel demand to support renewable energy development by Naturgy, which is involved in numerous projects to convert agricultural and livestock waste into biomethane, boosting the regional circular economy.
Securing additional sources of renewable fuel contributes to our decarbonisation pathway, which includes not only FEUM compliance, lower EU ETS costs and increased CII rating, but is also a key element of our corporate long-term sustainability strategy to hit net zero by 2040. We hope the LBM truck delivery in Spain will be the first of many.
…said Gent.