Port of Barcelona Accelerates Energy Transition with €1.7B Plan for Sustainable Maritime Operations
Barcelona, Spain | December 4, 2025 – The Port of Barcelona has unveiled its ambitious Energy Transition Plan, a strategic roadmap designed to transform the port into a low-carbon, sustainable energy hub and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2040 compared with 2017 levels. The plan also sets the port on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Immediate Goals: Halving Emissions by 2030
The Energy Transition Plan sets a near-term target to halve emissions by 2030, cutting one million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of 240,000 cars. The plan frames energy as a strategic asset, rather than a commodity, linking sustainability to port competitiveness, innovation, and resilience in the global maritime and logistics market.
Four Pillars of Action
The Plan outlines over 150 initiatives grouped under four strategic areas:
- Decarbonizing Port Activity – Electrifying 50% of port operations by 2030, and connecting 65% of container and cruise ships to Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems, rising to 90% by 2050, allowing vessels to shut down engines while in port.
- Sustainable Energy Consumption – Expanding local energy production, including 100 MWp of photovoltaic power and 100,000 tonnes of sustainable fuels annually (biomethane and synthetic fuels) to support maritime green corridors.
- Energy Resilience – Ensuring reliable supply of sustainable energy for all port activities and users, including connections to strategic networks like the H2MED hydrogen pipeline.
- Innovation & New Business Models – Developing emerging technologies such as CO2 capture and circular-economy fuel production, while promoting innovative business approaches to energy management.
Investment and Collaboration
Implementation of the Plan will rely on a combination of €920 million in private investments and €780 million in public funds, totaling approximately €1.7 billion. The initiative emphasizes collaboration across the Port of Barcelona community, ensuring companies and stakeholders align around the shared objective of a sustainable maritime hub.
Leadership Vision
José Alberto Carbonell, President of the Port of Barcelona, highlighted:
“The Energy Transition Plan marks port planning for the coming years and will transform our energy model, generating new business areas. All actions currently underway, and those still to be carried out at the Port of Barcelona, have been designed and conceived with the energy transition in mind. Sustainability already permeates the entire port business. The Port has a key role in the energy sector and must act as a strategic node that not only imports, stores, and distributes, but also produces and ensures the supply of different sustainable energies.”
Hector Calls, Director of Environmental Sustainability and Energy Transition, added:
“The Energy Transition Plan outlines the roadmap to guarantee competitiveness for the Port of Barcelona and protect the well-being of future generations while preserving our environment. It positions the Port as a benchmark in sustainability, energy innovation, and a model of resilience on a Mediterranean and European scale. This Plan is a dynamic, flexible document, incorporating technological and regulatory changes over the coming years, with certified calculation methods and annual indicators to ensure transparency and progress.”
Transparency and Accountability
The Port of Barcelona will monitor progress through certified calculation methods, publishing annual indicators to quantify results, with periodic reviews to incorporate technological, regulatory, and market changes. This ensures the plan remains dynamic, flexible, and results-driven over the next 15 years.
Key Takeaways for the Maritime Industry:
- Significant OPS expansion to reduce emissions from docked vessels.
- Investment in renewable energy and sustainable fuels for port and shipping operations.
- A model for other Mediterranean and European ports aiming for green transition leadership.
The Port of Barcelona: A Pivotal European Logistics Hub
The Port of Barcelona is a key maritime gateway in the Euromediterranean region, serving Catalonia and connecting Southern and Central Europe as well as North Africa. Its strategic location makes it a vital hub for maritime transport, energy supply, and bunkering services, linking global trade routes from the Far East to Latin America.
With growing cargo, passenger, and ship traffic, the Port has established itself as a reference point for maritime operations and energy logistics. It hosts a comprehensive bunkering and fuel supply network, supported by efficient intermodal connections—including port facilities, airport, highways, and rail—all within a 5-kilometer radius, enabling seamless distribution of marine fuels and energy resources.
A key strategic focus is the promotion of sustainable maritime fuel supply. Investments in rail and port infrastructure, combined with new energy transition projects, ensure faster, more efficient delivery of low-carbon fuels, LNG, and other alternative fuels to vessels. The Port’s ongoing integration with the European standard gauge network will reduce transit times for energy and cargo shipments, enhancing its competitive position against Northern European ports and reinforcing its role as a critical hub for decarbonized shipping and bunkering operations.
Source: Port of Barcelona