EMEA News
Port of Barcelona to Launch Tender for Methanol and LNG Bunkering Services
The Spanish port of Barcelona is preparing to issue tenders for commercial LNG and methanol bunkering services as it looks to expand alternative fuel supply to ships.
The port authority is drafting tender specifications for LNG bunkering that will include a simplified authorisation process based on vessel type, such as cruise ships, container ships and RORO vessels, it said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
It is also preparing tender documents for a commercial methanol bunkering service, with the first pilot operation planned for later this year.
The move follows a rise in LNG bunker volume in 2025, when the port supplied 231,787 m3 of LNG bunker, up nearly 1% from 229,750 m3 sold in 2024 and 143,000 m3 in 2023.
A total of 545 LNG bunkering operations were carried out in 2025, including 447 truck-to-ship operations supplying 47,593 m3 and 98 barge operations supplying 184,194 m3.
Calls by LNG-powered vessels increased, particularly in the cruise sector.
Nearly 30% of cruise ship calls in 2025 were made by LNG-fuelled vessels, while more than 40% of passengers travelled on ships using the fuel. The port also carried out its first bio-LNG bunkering operations during the year.
The authority said recent growth has been supported by the deployment of the LNG bunkering barge Haugesund Knutsen in early 2023, increased LNG use by Spanish ferry operator Balearia, and wider uptake of the fuel in the cruise and car carrier segments.
The Haugesund Knutsen, operated by Knutsen-Scale Gas and chartered by Shell, ran at full capacity for several months in 2025, particularly during the peak cruise season, while Balearia slightly increased its LNG bunkering activity.
The port said it plans to carry out its first barge-to-container ship and at-anchor LNG bunkering operations in 2026.
