Italy Joins Countries Where LNG Ship-to-Ship Bunkering is Happening

Italy has joined the growing list of countries where ship-to-ship bunkering of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been undertaken. Once considered a rarity, these bunkering operations are becoming increasingly common as more countries and ports develop the protocols to support the growing LNG operations.

The LNG bunkering operation was carried out on October 25 in the port of La Spezia supported by the Italian Coast Guard, Port Authority of Eastern Ligurian Sea, local authorities, and Shell for Costa Cruises' cruise ship the Costa Smeralda. The operation took place with the cruise ship berthed at the Molo Garibaldi pier, where the bunkering vessel Coral Methane was positioned alongside, under the supervision of the Italian Coast Guard.

Recognizing that it was the first time this type of bunkering operation had been completed in Italy, Franco Porcellacchia, vice president of sustainable innovation and infrastructure development for the Costa Group commented, "we are proud to have our LNG-powered flagship Costa Smeralda mark this milestone for Italy and the port of La Spezia." The operation was also the fiftieth LNG bunkering completed for a Carnival Corporation cruise ship according to Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs for Carnival Corporation.

Entering service in December 2019, the Costa Smeralda is only the second cruise ship in the world to operate both at sea and in port on LNG. Carnival Corporation was the first cruise company to adopt the use of LNG, initially testing it in port on dual-fuel engines aboard cruise ships operated by its AIDA cruise line. AIDA later introduced the world’s first LNG-fueled cruise ship in 2018, followed by the Costa Smeralda, which is based on the same design. The first two cruise ships have both operated in Europe, with the Costa Smeralda having fueled in Barcelona, after entering service. During the summer the ship was idle in the port of Marseilles, where she also completed the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering. The Costa Smeralda recently resumed cruise operations sailing weekly round trips in Italy, creating the need to refuel in an Italian port.

Coral Methane alongside during the fueling operation - photo courtesy of Costa Crociere

"The goal of our working group was to implement appropriate rules and procedures to ensure the highest safety standards, starting with navigation, environmental protection, fire prevention, and workplace safety," said Giovanni Stella, captain of La Spezia Coast Guard commenting on the process developed for the first LNG bunkering. "Every prescription adopted was duly observed and we are particularly satisfied that the operation had a regular evolution. Thanks to this positive experience, we believe that other maritime authorities can implement the regulation, we have defined in order to increase the LNG distribution infrastructure in Italian ports, as indicated by the Italian and European regulations."

Introduced in 2009, the Coral Methane was the first vessel designed to carry LNG, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and liquefied ethylene gas (LEG). In 2018, she was modified from operating as a combined Ethylene/LNG carrier to an LNG bunker vessel with a capacity of 7,500 cubic meters of gas. She has been used to fuel the AIDA cruise ship and in May 2020 completed a similar operation in France for the Costa Smeralda as France’s first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation. 

The cruise ship industry is catching up with the broader ship industry adopting LNG technology. In 2021, Carnival Cruise Line is scheduled to introduce the first LNG-fueled cruise ship in North America. In total, a quarter of the new cruise ships being built will use LNG fuel. By 2027, the cruise industry is expected to have at least 25 LNG-powered ships.