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Spain's Molgas Energia carried out the first ever LNG bunker delivery at the northern port of Santander on May 4.

The LNG-fuelled cement carrier MV Ireland was bunkered in a tank-to-ship operation which lasted five hours.

Bunker Index previously reported that Molgas also performed a similar operation involving the MV Ireland at the neighbouring port of Bilbao on March 28 during a truck-to-ship bunkering operation that also lasted five hours.

Two tank loads were used to supply LNG to the dedicated cement carrier. Product was sourced from the Bahia de Bizkaia Gas (BBG) regasification plant.

The 110-metre-long, LNG-powered Ireland was launched at Ferus Smit's Westerbroak shipyard in March 2016.

The Ireland and sister vessel MV Greenland, which was delivered in December 2015, are operated by JT Cement, a joint venture between Erik Thun AB and KG Jebsen Cement of Norway.

Both vessels are equipped with a Wartsila dual-fuel main engine and a pressurized LNG tank enabling round trips of around two weeks.