Shell carries out Port of Gibraltar’s first cruise ship LNG bunkering

Energy major Shell has carried out the first-ever cruise ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation at the Port of Gibraltar.

As explained, the company bunkered LNG on vessel Silver Nova, the first in the future line of Nova class ships for Monaco-based Silversea Cruises. The ship recently started its maiden boyage.

The operation was also the Port of Gibraltar’s first ‘in-port’ bunkering, according to Tahir Faruqui, global head of downstream LNG at Shell Trading.

The firm stressed that the operation highlights Shell’s commitment to develop Gibraltar as a key LNG bunkering hub, offering bunkering services both within the port and at the anchorage. the bunkering was carried out in cooperation with Royal Caribbean Group, Anthony Veder, and the Gibraltar Port Authority.

As part of its decarbonisation startegy, cruise shipping major Royal Caribbean Group has recently completed biofuel testing in Europe. The company began testing biofuels last year and expanded the trial this summer in Europe to two additional ships — Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex.

The sustainable biofuel blends tested were produced by purifying renewable raw materials like waste oils and fats and combining them with fuel oil to create an alternative fuel that is cleaner and more sustainable. They are accredited by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC).