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LNG Bunkering

European Union recognises Baleària fuel switch to LNG

Offers ‘excellent’ rating for a fund request to support LNG engine installation project on five ferries.

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A request by Spanish shipping line Baleària for CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) funds to support a ferry engine retrofit project to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a bunker fuel has been given an ‘excellent’ rating by the European Union (EU), it says.

The EU believes the project is highly relevant with a score of 5 out of 5, highlighting that “it makes it possible to meet the objectives set forth in Regulation 1315/2013 on efficiency, sustainability and cohesion, and will help decarbonise maritime transport”.

As such, the European Commission has granted the shipping company a maximum subsidy of €11,797,424 (of the €15 million / USD $17.4 million requested), which accounts for 20% of the investment Baleària will make for retrofits on five ferries which will be undertaken starting at the end of 2018 through 2021.

The evaluating commission considered the project to be ready for implementation as “it is technically very developed and the funding is guaranteed”.

Besides emphasising the support of three banks ready to grant the necessary loan, it indicates that “the cost-benefit analysis is based on a solid methodology and is exhaustive”.

The Chairman of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, reflected his satisfaction with this award.

“Our medium-term goal is to become the shipping company with the most sustainable and eco-efficient fleet in the sector,” he says.

As of 2020, shipping companies operating within the European Union and the exclusive economic area will have to use low-sulphur fuels due to the IMO 2020 regulation.

The use of LNG in the five ships to be fitted with new engines (Nápoles, Abel Matutes, Sicilia, Bahama Mama and Martín i Soler) is expected to reduce more than 45,000 tons of CO2 annually as well as 4,400 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) in addition to fully eliminating sulphur and particle emissions.

The first of the ships to be fitted with a new engine will be the Nápoles as of mid-November.

Photo credit: Baleària
Published: 12 October, 2018

 

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LNG Bunkering

Amazónica LNG joins SEA-LNG as coalition expands into South America

SEA-LNG announces the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering-ready infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast.

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Amazónica LNG joins SEA-LNG as coalition expands into South America

Industry coalition SEA-LNG on Tuesday (18 August) announced the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering-ready infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast.

Amazónica LNG is a joint venture between port logistics specialist Retramar and private equity investor Affinity Energy. The company operates the Palermo LNG terminal in Sitio Nuevo, Magdalena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast near Barranquilla, combining a floating storage unit with regasification and small-scale LNG distribution capability.

Cartagena and Barranquilla have a focus on cargo and cruise activity along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In 2025, CONTECAR and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena together handled over 4 million TEUs of containerised cargo. This is around 63% of all containerised cargo handled by Colombia’s public-service port companies.

The Cartagena Cruise Terminal serves 34 cruise lines, while the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla handled approximately 3.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2025. Together, these showcase the scale of maritime activity that will support the development of LNG bunkering infrastructure in the Colombian Caribbean.

Within this context, LNG offers an immediate route to decarbonisation that is available today, helping the maritime value chain reduce greenhouse gas and local air emissions. It also gives the sector a pathway to meet increasingly demanding international decarbonisation requirements over time, as compatible vessels and infrastructure enable the shift to liquefied biomethane and e-methane.

Alberto Consuegra, CEO of Amazónica LNG, said: “The opportunity for Amazónica LNG is focused firmly on unlocking LNG as a practical transition fuel for the region. We make this possible by further advancing shipping decarbonisation as Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean establish themselves as a future-ready bunkering hub serving Latin America and the wider Caribbean. Joining SEA-LNG will help us expand our network and join a coalition of first movers who are dedicated to advancing the methane decarbonisation pathway.”

Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG, added: “Amazónica LNG’s membership extends SEA-LNG’s reach into Latin America at a pivotal moment, growing the infrastructure which is critical for methane’s global adoption. As decarbonisation requirements tighten across international shipping, Amazónica LNG’s infrastructure on Colombia’s Caribbean coast will accelerate the adoption of the methane pathway.”

LNG bunkering infrastructure continues to expand rapidly worldwide, with LNG now available at more than 220 ports globally, and LNG-fuelled vessels accounting for almost 90% of all alternative-fuel ships currently on order. 

Amazónica LNG’s membership adds Latin American port and terminal expertise to a coalition dedicated to the growth of global methane marine fuel value chain spanning owners, ports, fuel producers, OEMs, insurers, classification societies that enables the transition to sustainable shipping.

 

Photo credit: Amazónica LNG
Published: 19 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Singapore: Eastern Pacific Shipping hits 700 LNG bunkering milestone

Since commencing LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, the company said it has completed a total LNG bunkering volume of 2,920,191 cubic metres.

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Singapore: Eastern Pacific Shipping hits 700 LNG bunkering milestone

Singapore-based shipping firm Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) on Monday (17 August) said the company has successfully completed its 700th LNG bunkering operation, carried out for vehicle carrier Lake Victoria in Emden, Germany.

Since commencing LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, the company said it has completed a total LNG bunkering volume of 2,920,191 cubic metres (m3).

“Reaching 700 LNG bunkering operations reflects not only the scale of our investment in alternative-fuel capabilities, but also the experience, coordination and commitment of our teams at sea and ashore,” EPS said in a social media post. 

“As we continue to grow and diversify our fleet, every operation adds to the practical experience needed to support shipping’s energy transition.”

Manifold Times previously reported the company completed a total of 530 LNG bunkering operations with over 2.4 million m3 of LNG bunkered, from the start of recorded data to 31 Dec 2025. 

In its 2026 ESG Report, EPS said its fleet is among the largest dual-fuel fleets in the industry, with over 170 vessels designed to operate on alternative fuels.

In 2025, 25% of the fuel consumed by EPS fleet were alternative marine fuels, including LNG, LPG, ethane, and biofuels.

Related: 2026 ESG Report: Singapore-based EPS completes 530 LNG bunkering operations

 

Photo credit: Eastern Pacific Shipping
Published: 18 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Yang Ming dual-fuel vessel completes first SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai

“YM Willpower” successfully received around 2,000 mt of LNG alongside active cargo handling, significantly enhancing operational efficiency during the port call.

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Yang Ming dual-fuel vessel completes first SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) on Monday (17 August) said its 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessel, YM Willpower, successfully completed its first-ever LNG bunkering operation via SIMOPS (Simultaneous Operations) at the Port of Shanghai.

Through close collaboration with Shanghai International Port (Group) and SIPG Energy Shanghai, the vessel successfully received around 2,000 metric tonnes (mt) of LNG alongside active cargo handling, significantly enhancing operational efficiency during the port call.  

With LNG dual-fuel technology, the company said it is continuing to expand alternative-fuel bunkering capabilities, enhance operational flexibility and efficiency and advance lower-carbon shipping solutions.  

Manifold Times previously reported YM Willpower completing its first bunkering operation in Singapore.

In 2026, Yang Ming will progressively introduce newly built 15,500 TEU class container vessels primarily fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) into its operating fleet. 

The lead vessel, YM Willpower, completed partial LNG bunkering at the shipyard prior to delivery and was officially deployed on 8 February into Yang Ming’s Far East–Mediterranean MD2 service. 

Related: Yang Ming’s new boxship completes first LNG bunkering operation in Singapore

 

Photo credit: Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation
Published: 18 August, 2026

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