LNG Bunkering

Costa Cruises completes first LNG bunkering operation in Italy with ‘Costa Smeralda’

The ship-to-ship operation was carried out at the port of La Spezia with the bunkering vessel Coral Methane under the supervision of the Italian Coast Guard.

Published

6 years ago

October 27, 2020

Admin

Costa Cruises, an Italian cruise line and subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, on Monday (26 October) said the first liquified natural gas (LNG) bunker operation in Italy was performed on the company’s first LNG powered ship Costa Smeralda on Sunday (25 October).

Costa added that the operation was supported by the Italian Coast Guard, Port Authority of Eastern Ligurian Sea, local authorities and Shell, which is the LNG supplier partner for Costa Group and its parent company, Carnival Corporation.

The operation was carried out in the port of La Spezia and completed by 6:00 pm, where the bunkering vessel Coral Methane was positioned alongside (bow to bow) Costa Smeralda, under the supervision of the Italian Coast Guard and in coordination with all parties involved and the crews of Costa Smeralda and Coral Methane.

“As part of our deep commitment to sustainability, we are proud to have our LNG-powered flagship Costa Smeralda mark this milestone for Italy and the port of La Spezia,” said Franco Porcellacchia, vice president of sustainable innovation and infrastructure development for Costa Group.

“Carnival Corporation and Costa were the first cruise operator to invest in sustainable innovation with LNG-powered ship technology and we continue to be committed to ensuring the highest environmental standards for a more sustainable future of cruising.”

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

“This is another important milestone that we have achieved by working together with our partners, as we continue to demonstrate Carnival Corporation’s commitment to sustainability and developing the most advanced fuel technologies available today.”

“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.

“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.”

“A very important milestone was reached for the first time in our country, once again right in the port of La Spezia,” said Carla Roncallo, president of the Port Authority of Eastern Ligurian Sea.

“I would like to thank in particular the La Spezia Coast Guard and the Maritime Directorate of Liguria, who together with Costa Cruises made this operation possible, always keeping safety at the first place.”

Costa Smeralda is the first LNG-powered ship in the Costa Cruises fleet, and will be followed by Costa Toscana, the sister LNG ship scheduled to be delivered in late 2021, said the company.

Another LNG ship, AIDAnova from AIDA Cruises, has been operating within the Costa Group fleet since 2018 and she will be followed by other two sister vessels by 2023.

As part of the overall Carnival Corporation fleet, a third LNG-powered ship, P&O Cruises UK’s Iona, was recently delivered.

Photo credit: Costa Cruises
Published: 27 October, 2020

LNG Bunkering

Bunkering vessel “Avenir Advantage” completes first LNG delivery to cruise ship

Ship delivered LNG to Royal Caribbean Group’s “Icon of the Seas” in Honduras, marking its first LNG bunkering operation for the cruise line and expanding small-scale LNG supply in the Caribbean.

Published

21 hours ago

August 20, 2026

Admin

Bunkering vessel “Avenir Advantage” completes first LNG delivery to cruise ship

Bunker supplier Avenir LNG on Wednesday (19 August) said its bunkering vessel Avenir Advantage has completed its first LNG bunkering delivery to Royal Caribbean Group’s cruise ship, Icon of the Seas in Honduras, marking a milestone for the company’s LNG supply operations in the Caribbean.

The company said the operation supports the cruise industry’s transition towards lower-emission marine fuels while demonstrating the flexibility of small-scale LNG infrastructure in the region.

Avenir LNG thanked Axpo Group, the vessel’s crew, shore teams, port stakeholders and other partners involved in the operation.

The company added that it aims to support further safe and reliable LNG deliveries in the future.

Photo credit: Avenir LNG
Published: 20 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Amazónica LNG joins SEA-LNG as coalition expands into South America

SEA-LNG announces the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering-ready infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast.

Published

2 days ago

August 19, 2026

Admin

Amazónica LNG joins SEA-LNG as coalition expands into South America

Industry coalition SEA-LNG on Tuesday (18 August) announced the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering-ready infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast.

Amazónica LNG is a joint venture between port logistics specialist Retramar and private equity investor Affinity Energy. The company operates the Palermo LNG terminal in Sitio Nuevo, Magdalena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast near Barranquilla, combining a floating storage unit with regasification and small-scale LNG distribution capability.

Cartagena and Barranquilla have a focus on cargo and cruise activity along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In 2025, CONTECAR and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena together handled over 4 million TEUs of containerised cargo. This is around 63% of all containerised cargo handled by Colombia’s public-service port companies.

The Cartagena Cruise Terminal serves 34 cruise lines, while the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla handled approximately 3.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2025. Together, these showcase the scale of maritime activity that will support the development of LNG bunkering infrastructure in the Colombian Caribbean.

Within this context, LNG offers an immediate route to decarbonisation that is available today, helping the maritime value chain reduce greenhouse gas and local air emissions. It also gives the sector a pathway to meet increasingly demanding international decarbonisation requirements over time, as compatible vessels and infrastructure enable the shift to liquefied biomethane and e-methane.

Alberto Consuegra, CEO of Amazónica LNG, said: “The opportunity for Amazónica LNG is focused firmly on unlocking LNG as a practical transition fuel for the region. We make this possible by further advancing shipping decarbonisation as Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean establish themselves as a future-ready bunkering hub serving Latin America and the wider Caribbean. Joining SEA-LNG will help us expand our network and join a coalition of first movers who are dedicated to advancing the methane decarbonisation pathway.”

Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG, added: “Amazónica LNG’s membership extends SEA-LNG’s reach into Latin America at a pivotal moment, growing the infrastructure which is critical for methane’s global adoption. As decarbonisation requirements tighten across international shipping, Amazónica LNG’s infrastructure on Colombia’s Caribbean coast will accelerate the adoption of the methane pathway.”

LNG bunkering infrastructure continues to expand rapidly worldwide, with LNG now available at more than 220 ports globally, and LNG-fuelled vessels accounting for almost 90% of all alternative-fuel ships currently on order.

Amazónica LNG’s membership adds Latin American port and terminal expertise to a coalition dedicated to the growth of global methane marine fuel value chain spanning owners, ports, fuel producers, OEMs, insurers, classification societies that enables the transition to sustainable shipping.

Photo credit: Amazónica LNG
Published: 19 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Singapore: Eastern Pacific Shipping hits 700 LNG bunkering milestone

Since commencing LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, the company said it has completed a total LNG bunkering volume of 2,920,191 cubic metres.

Published

3 days ago

August 18, 2026

Admin

Singapore: Eastern Pacific Shipping hits 700 LNG bunkering milestone

Singapore-based shipping firm Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) on Monday (17 August) said the company has successfully completed its 700th LNG bunkering operation, carried out for vehicle carrier Lake Victoria in Emden, Germany.

Since commencing LNG bunkering operations in November 2020, the company said it has completed a total LNG bunkering volume of 2,920,191 cubic metres (m3).

“Reaching 700 LNG bunkering operations reflects not only the scale of our investment in alternative-fuel capabilities, but also the experience, coordination and commitment of our teams at sea and ashore,” EPS said in a social media post.

“As we continue to grow and diversify our fleet, every operation adds to the practical experience needed to support shipping’s energy transition.”

Manifold Times previously reported the company completed a total of 530 LNG bunkering operations with over 2.4 million m3 of LNG bunkered, from the start of recorded data to 31 Dec 2025.

In its 2026 ESG Report, EPS said its fleet is among the largest dual-fuel fleets in the industry, with over 170 vessels designed to operate on alternative fuels.

In 2025, 25% of the fuel consumed by EPS fleet were alternative marine fuels, including LNG, LPG, ethane, and biofuels.

Photo credit: Eastern Pacific Shipping
Published: 18 August, 2026