First LNG Bunkering Carried Out in Italy

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday October 27, 2020

A ship owned by Costa Cruises has undergone the first LNG bunkering in Italy, the company said Monday.

TheĀ Costa Smerelda took on LNG at the port of La Spezia on the evening of October 25, the company said in an emailed statement.

Shell supplied the vessel, supported by the Italian Coast Guard, the Port Authority of the East Ligurian Sea and other local authorities.

Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Costa Cruises, has been one of the biggest advocates of switching to LNG bunkering.

"With the LNG bunkering that took place in La Spezia, we also marked the 50th successful operation for a Costa Group ship," Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs for Carnival, said in the statement.

"We are at the forefront of advancing LNG as a fuel source for the cruise industry and we are working to build an extensive, safe and reliable LNG infrastructure for cruise ships around the globe."