The port begins its transformation with the start of the construction works for the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supply station for ferries.
This is the first step for the new configuration of the area with the transfer of the ferry terminal, thus freeing the Maritime Station, which will be dedicated exclusively to cruise ships.
Martín: "this action will entail the demolition of the rest of the warehouses located on the pier of Maliaño, thus improving the visual perspective of the area and the quality of life of the neighbors".
Santander 18-10-21. The president of the Port Authority, Francisco Martin, said this morning, at the start of construction of the LNG supply station, that with this milestone "we are witnessing the transformation of the port" not only with the improvement of port infrastructure but also "being pioneers in offering ships a more sustainable fuel that can significantly reduce emissions of CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere".
The head of the port, who visited the works together with the President of Cantabria and the Minister of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Trade, pointed out that this action is part of the APS plan "to allocate more than 100 million euros, between public and private investment, to make a substantial change in the appearance of the port" over the next 18 months and "make the port facilities more competitive".
Martín also referred to the "positive visual impact" that this work will have on the area, improving "both the views and the quality of life of residents and passers-by". According to the president of the APS, this action "adds to the list of measures that the Port Authority has been adopting so that citizens can enjoy port spaces of high value for the enjoyment of neighbors". Thus, he emphasized that the port is committed with the improvement of the city all along the waterfront, as is shown by the opening to public use of numerous port assets "currently with less use", such as the Exhibition Hall of the ENAIRE Foundation, the Gamazo Dry Dock or the Pump House, "port facilities which we have enhanced and which are catalysts of the waterfront".
For his part, the President of Cantabria, Mr. Miguel Ángel Revilla, thanked Repsol for its investment in the port, which is "essential for complying with the European regulations for reduced CO2 emissions", and assured that the Cantabrian infrastructure is a factor "of progress" for the region, for which reason, with these actions, the Government is determined to make it a "modern and attractive" port.
Likewise, the counselor of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Commerce, Francisco Javier López Marcano, also vice-president of the Port of Santander, has valued "satisfactorily" the line of work that APS is carrying out "with the materialization of works as important as the container and fertilizer terminals, the construction of the vertical silo or the installation of the LNG station" and has assured that a "clearer and cleaner" port-city relationship is being built. The Minister also referred to the projects that Repsol has in Cantabria and specified that "they have a lot to do with our future prosperity".
During the ceremony, Repsol's Director of Gas Wholesale and Trading, Laura Rejón Pérez, explained the technical characteristics and operation of the LNG Station, a concession that the Port Authority granted on May 26th to Repsol LNG Holding S.A. to occupy an area of 4,902 m2 in the Maliaño dock for the construction and operation of an LNG supply station for ships. The facility, which will start operating in March 2023, has an investment budget of more than 10 million euros and a concession period of 15 years, will initially be destined to the new ships that the company Brittany Ferries has under construction.
Rejón pointed out that this is a "pioneering work in Spain" that will allow the supply to Brittany Ferries ships and stressed that the measure is "aligned" with Repsol's Strategic Plan to be a "net zero emissions" company that will help to reduce "the emission of 73,000 tons of CO2 per year".
The start of the work was also attended by Repsol's Director of Institutional Affairs and Organizations and President's Office, Pedro Miras, and the Director of Brittany Ferries in Spain, Roberto Castilla.
Description of the project
The bunkering station, which will be located at the new Maliaño 1-4 dock (currently under construction), is designed to load Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel for ships with a storage capacity of up to 1,000 m3. The facility, which is flexible enough to be able to supply other types of ships, has the necessary elements to adapt to future LNG demands.
The bunkering station to be built is a Terminal/Pipe-to-Ship (P-t-S) facility, designed in the first instance to feed a ferry that will dock nearby. LNG is brought to the terminal by cryogenic tanker trucks, which will have been loaded at an LNG storage and regasification plant. The LNG will be stored in a cryogenic tank from where it will be pumped for transfer to the ship. Cryogenic hoses will be used for the transfer.
LNG
Currently, LNG has become an important alternative as a fuel for the shipping industry since it allows reducing CO2 emissions (between 20-25%), NOx (about 85%) and SOx (100%).
Bunkering is a port operation that consists of the supply of fuel. For this project LNG will be used to be supplied to Ferry type vessels for vehicles and passengers, with a storage capacity of 600 m3 of LNG.
The forthcoming entry into force of the regulation imposed by the International Maritime Organization, which requires that fuel used by ships have a maximum sulfur content of 0.5% as of 1-Jan-2020, has prompted the development of this new fuel for ships.
CEF-Transport Program
The consortium formed by the Port of Santander, Repsol, ESK and Enagás, has obtained European aid to implement the LNG bunker in Santander. The project, led by Repsol, includes the modification of the port infrastructure and the construction of an LNG bunker terminal, work on which is now beginning. This facility will initially be destined for the new ships that the company Brittany Ferries has under construction.
This action has a European aid within the CEF-Transport program, specifically in the call Projects on the Comprehensive Network (CEF-T-2019-1-AP-TRANSPORT) / Maritime Ports and is part of the LNGhive2 strategy promoted by Puertos del Estado.