August 4, 2022. The Spanish shipping company Baleària considers gas technology to be a viable and cleanest bet that currently exists, in a context where the debate on energy dependence and consumption models, with the horizon of decarbonization 2050, has come to the top of the list of urgencies of the countries.
Javier Cervera, head of Energy Transition at Baleària, recalls that energy consumption is overweight in shipping companies and that this sector is not easily decarbonizable because there is no technology with a sufficient degree of maturity. For this reason, he explains the path that Baleària has chosen, with projects linked to gas since 2013: “Commit ourselves, beyond the demands of community directives, to try to apply the cleanest technology possible at all times”. He thus points out that, although natural gas is not the definitive solution, “it is a transition fuel in accordance with the objective of decarbonization and a better option than using the classic oil derivatives.” Baleària defends natural gas technology “because it is the only possible way to be more climate-demanding today, even than what the European Union is asking for”.
Since October of last year, the company has reduced its consumption in the face of escalating prices that threatened the company’s viability. “The decision was made out of responsibility; if we are not viable, in no case can we be sustainable”, highlights Cervera. As a commitment to the future, the shipping company has nine ships with dual engines prepared to consume 100% biomethane and up to 25% green hydrogen mixtures, renewable gases that are neutral in CO2 emissions, in which Baleària is involved in several projects.
