Daniel García Galindo, head of R&D at AVEBIOM, highlighted the high potential of biomass and biogenic CO₂ to decarbonize a sector that annually consumes 40 Mt of fuel oils and LPG.
Europe can sustainably mobilize 1 billion tons of biomass, which would allow it to supply up to eight times the current consumption. Furthermore, there are over 300 million tons of biogenic CO₂ neutral from bioethanol, biogas, bioelectric plants, and industrial thermal processes; capturing and using this CO₂ to produce renewable methanol could generate e-fuels, such as e-methanol, to meet up to 2.5 times the current demand.
Daniel García Galindo and Jan Wilske (TERGY SAGAVA) agreed that the bioenergy route represents the most viable alternative in the short term. However, they also noted that incorporating e-fuels is necessary in the medium term to achieve full decarbonization not only of the maritime sector, but of the entire economy.
The project POSEIDON, The project, coordinated by the European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER) and co-financed by Horizon Europe with almost €9.7 million, aims to optimize the production of synthetic methanol using renewable electricity and hydrogen, leveraging two CO₂ capture routes: one from wastewater treatment plant biogas and the other from industrial processes. The developed technology will be evaluated in two- and four-stroke engines and pilot vessels, allowing researchers to measure its technical, economic, environmental, and social impact.
In addition to the POSEIDON project, the Valenciaport Foundation presented six other initiatives for decarbonization and energy transition to the port community, highlighting the importance of collaboration between stakeholders in the sector to promote innovative solutions that integrate renewable energy into port and maritime operations.
With the modernization of fleets and the incorporation of e-methanol, which is already beginning to consolidate in the market and is expected to have a strong presence from 2030 onwards, the path towards cleaner and more efficient maritime transport continues to expand, as is also happening in other sectors with similar fuel consumption such as aviation.