Costa Cruises has announced in a press release that it has bunkered LNG for the Costa Smeralda for the first time in Italy

The bunkering took place on October 25 in the port of La Spezia in Italy.

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, according to the press release. 

“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, sustainable innovation and infrastructure development vice president at 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.” 

“We continue to demonstrate Carnival Corporation’s commitment to sustainability and developing the most advanced fuel technologies available today,” added Tom Strang, Carnival Corporations’ senior vice president of maritime affairs. “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.” 

Following the footsteps of the Costa Smeralda, which was delivered in late 2019, will be Costa Cruises’ second LNG-powered ship – the sister ship Costa Toscana.

The Toscana’s delivery is scheduled to take place at the end of 2021. Another LNG ship, the AIDAnova, has been operating within the Costa Group fleet since 2018, according to the press release.