AIDA Cruises starts LNG fueling ops in Mediterranean ports

AIDA Cruises, a Carnival Corporation company, said it will start regular operations to supply its LNG-powered AIDAperla with liquefied natural gas during the vessel’s stay in three Mediterranean ports.

Following successful tests, the cruise company will start the LNG bunkering operations in the Spanish port of Barcelona, France’s Marseille and Civitavecchia in Italy.

AIDA Cruises said in a statement it was also in talks with Palma de Mallorca in Spain.

On average, a cruise ship spends around 40 percent of its operating time in a port. Thanks to its dual-fuel engine, the AIDAperla can produce the required energy from LNG during the ship’s port berth, AIDA noted in the statement.

The LNG supply in the port takes place via a truck-to-ship method.

AIDAperla is the sister vessel to LNG-powered AIDAprima that was delivered last year.

AIDAprima, the company’s first vessel in the LNG-powered series has already been provided with LNG in all five ports of her Northern Europe cruises since May 2016. AIDAperla is the second cruise ship that is able to produce onboard power from LNG while docked.

In April last year, Aida Cruises signed an LNG supply deal with Shell for its two vessels, with Shell becoming Aida Cruises’ exclusive strategic partner in all ports that provide LNG bunkering.

Worth mentioning, AIDA Cruises is also awaiting the delivery of two fully LNG-powered cruise ships which will able to run on LNG in port and at sea as well.

AIDAnova, currently being built at the Neptun Werft in Rostock is expected to be delivered in the fall of 2018 while its sister ship will reinforce the AIDA fleet in the spring of 2021.

LNG World News Staff