English
Spanish
Catalan
French
Italian
After studying Naval and Ocean Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Jesús Blanco (Madrid, 1983) joined Baleària as an intern in September 2011. Since then, he has progressed within the company to become Baleària’s Head of Decarbonisation Projects, responsible for guiding the company’s eco-efficiency strategy.
Q. What are your responsibilities at Baleària?
A. I study, plan and oversee compliance with international and European regulations relating to emissions reduction, in line with the new emissions limits established by the International Maritime Organization and the European Union. I also take part in working groups related to decarbonisation, and in the study and assessment of fleet projects linked to emissions reduction, energy-efficiency systems and innovation.
Q. What are the European requirements regarding the eco-efficiency of maritime transport?
A. The European Union’s Fit for 55 regulatory package also includes maritime transport. In 2024 this type of transport is expected to enter the Emissions Trading System, and in 2025 the FuelEU Maritime Regulation on the sustainability of maritime fuels will come into force. It aims to drive the transition towards low-carbon energy, with penalties for vessels that fail to comply. The European Union’s targets are to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The International Maritime Organization is also developing decarbonisation measures, with the aim of reducing emissions — by 20% in 2030 and 70% in 2040 — before reaching net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.
Q. What projects does Baleària have in place to comply with these measures?
A. We are already working to adapt to these new environmental targets. We are starting by improving the efficiency of vessels and operations and continuing with the use of the most efficient fuel currently available, natural gas. We are also studying the feasibility of using biomethane, as well as green-hydrogen blends of up to 25%, in our vessels equipped with dual-fuel engines. We are at a very uncertain point regarding which technologies or fuels will prevail in the future, although personally I believe we will move towards a multi-fuel model, combined with a wide range of energy-efficiency technologies on board vessels.
Q. Why has Baleària opted for natural gas?
A. This commitment goes back a long way. It began in 2014 with a project to install an auxiliary gas engine on the ferry Abel Matutes. Since then, between newbuilds and re-engining projects, we now have 10 vessels sailing on natural gas. This fuel is a viable option and the cleanest currently available, achieving a 30–35% reduction in CO2, an 80% reduction in NOx and the complete elimination of SOx and particulate emissions. At Baleària we see it as a transitional energy source on the path towards decarbonisation, and around €500 million has been invested in it over the last five years. In addition, this autumn we will launch the Margarita Salas, a second fast ferry capable of sailing using this energy source. Like the rest of our gas-powered fleet, its dual-fuel engines are ready to run on renewable sources with neutral CO2 emissions, as they can use 100% biomethane as well as green-hydrogen blends of up to 25%. In fact, in 2021 Baleària already carried out a pilot test using renewable biomethane on its sister ship, the Eleanor Roosevelt.
Q. What other fuels could become a major option for maritime transport?
A. Personally, I think biofuels could be a good alternative, but production will be severely limited and their prices are very high. Renewable synthetic fuels will open up new possibilities and would not require major modifications to vessels in order to use them. I do not have much confidence in methanol, ammonia or hydrogen in the short term, because at present they are not green. In addition, these fuels have a lower energy density than natural gas or fossil fuels, so they require much greater tank capacity on board.
“THE FUTURE LIES IN A MULTI-FUEL MODEL, COMBINED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF ENERGY-EFFICIENCY TECHNOLOGIES”
Q. How do you see the future of electric vessels such as the Cap de Barbaria, which operates between Ibiza and Formentera?
A. Electric vessels have a place on short routes, such as inter-island services. By contrast, I do not see a future for them on long routes because of the very low energy density of this technology, which would require a vessel to be filled with batteries. However, I believe a hybrid solution could be implemented, using batteries for manoeuvres and while vessels are in port.
Q. Over these 25 years Baleària has transformed. How do you see its evolution towards 2050?
A. Because of all the European and international regulatory packages, Baleària will have to continue evolving with decarbonisation by 2050 as its horizon. I do not think this will be critical for Baleària, because the company has shown that environmental protection is in its DNA. From the Barreras-series vessels, which began with the Martín i Soler in 2009 and were already more efficient, through the Eco series, the commitment to natural gas and Spain’s first electric ferry , the Cap de Barbaria. Baleària is involved in several projects to achieve these targets.
