At the close of July, TUI Cruises undertook the first supply of bio-LNG to the Mein Schiff Relax at the Port of Barcelona (Spain), marking a further step in the company’s stated course toward climate-neutral operations. The vessel, the most recent addition to the fleet and the first of the new InTUItion class, received 1,875 cubic metres of bio-LNG in a ship-to-ship bunkering operation conducted from the barge Haugesund Knutsen, operated by Knutsen Scale Gas under charter to Shell.
The fuel was sourced from Enagás’ regasification facility within the port, where it was produced and certified in accordance with ISCC EU criteria. The process was entirely local, with an emphasis on sustainable value creation. Bio-LNG, or liquefied biomethane, is derived from organic waste and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by seventy to one hundred percent, depending on the feedstock. As its chemical composition matches that of fossil LNG, it can be used directly in the dual-fuel engines of the Mein Schiff Relax without alteration.
All newly constructed vessels in the Mein Schiff fleet are fitted with dual-fuel engines capable of operating on lower-emission fuels. Mein Schiff 7, delivered the previous year, is also prepared for the use of green methanol. Company representatives have stated that this adaptability enables them to switch to the lowest-emission option available as soon as scaling and supply permit.
The bunkering at Barcelona is viewed within the company as a milestone in the execution of its climate protection plan, which targets climate neutrality by 2050. The programme rests on the adoption of alternative fuels, the use of green shore power already available at numerous ports, technical measures to increase energy efficiency—including route optimisation, digital monitoring tools, and advanced hull coatings—and the refinement of voyage planning to limit energy demand.