Barcelona Maersk Makes Maiden Call at the Port of Barcelona

The container ship Barcelona Maersk made its first call at the Port of Barcelona, an event considered symbolic since the vessel bears the name of the Catalan capital. The ship operates on the route connecting Europe with Southeast Asia and called at the APM Terminals Barcelona terminal to carry out loading and discharging operations before continuing its voyage to Italy, from where it will sail toward the Suez Canal on its return to Asia.

The Barcelona Maersk, with a capacity of 17,480 TEU, was built in South Korea and entered service earlier this year. It is part of a series of six large container ships built for Maersk equipped with dual-fuel engines that allow the use of green methanol, an alternative fuel that can generate up to 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fossil fuels, equivalent to a reduction of 280 tonnes of CO2 per day.

To mark the maiden call, the Chairman of the Port of Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell, presented the captain of the Barcelona Maersk with a commemorative plaque. The ceremony was also attended by Jordi Valls, Fourth Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance, Economic Promotion and Tourism of the Barcelona City Council; Carla Salvadó, Deputy General Manager and Head of Commercial and Marketing at the Port of Barcelona; Carles Mayol, Head of Container Division; Julián Fernández, Managing Director of APM Terminals Spanish Gateways; and Narcís Pavón, Chief Operating Officer of APM Terminals Barcelona.

Carbonell noted that the call reinforces the port's role as a hub on the main shipping routes between Asia and Europe, and pointed out that Maersk's goals and those of the Port of Barcelona are fully aligned in moving toward more sustainable shipping. The technology aboard the Barcelona Maersk places it among the new generation of vessels through which the industry is advancing the decarbonization of maritime transport.