LNG Bunkering of AIDAnova, the world’s first LNG cruise ship, in the Canary islands

• 28 Jan 2019

On 16th January 2019, AIDAnova, the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ship - belonging to the German AIDA Cruises Line (Carnival Corporation) - has successfully done its first ship-to-ship bunkering operation at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.

The operation was the first ship-to-ship refueling conducted in Spanish territorial waters in the context of the ten-year worldwide LNG supply contract with Carnival Group’s ships (made by eight different companies including Costa Crociere). A similar agreement subsists between Total and MSC company.

The utilisation of the Coral Methane  in the south of Gibraltar, where Shell can count on a LNG supply point, it is a guarantee of the feasibility of ship-to-ship supplies in the Mediterranean Sea, an area in which by the end of this year Costa Smeralda, flagship of the new LNG fleet, will sail. Shell’s terminal in Gibraltar, run by Gasnor, counts 5 1000 m3 LNG tanks which provide to bunkering activities from a special dock as well as supplying a recently built electric power plant.

AIDAnova, that was put into service in December 2018 (READ MORE HERE)and currently navigates under the Italian flag, is the first ship of the new Helios Class based on a “Green Cruising Concept” that can be powered with environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas entirely. It has been built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The ship, 337 meters long, exceeds 183,000 gross tons and has 20 desks, 2,626 staterooms and can accommodate 5,200  passengers and a crew of about 1,500 people.

In the current premiere season, AIDAnova is embarking on seven-day cruises around the Canary Islands. The program includes the volcanic scenaries of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, along with the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. In mid-April 2019, AIDAnova is then setting sail for another favorite travel spot - the Mediterranean. The summer season features Mediterranean destinations such as Majorca, Barcelona, Rome, Florence and Marseille.

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation was carried out by Coral Methane, a 7,500 cbm vessel built in 2009 for Anthony Veder shipping group, that has been modified from an ethylene/LNG carrier to an LNG bunker vessel in 2018 and chartered by Shell subsidiary Gasnor, who are supplying the LNG.

The modification project, managed by Anthony Veder, took twelve months. It required engineering and modification works, as well as obtaining bunkering licenses for the various ports. To guarantee safe bunkering operations, the crew was familiarized with all the necessary equipment and procedures together with employees of Shell and AIDA Cruises, along with Carnival Corporation.

Its boil-off gas management system provides a sustainable solution for efficient use of natural gas and carbon emission reductions. The project also involved a review of all necessary operational procedures to ensure compliance with the SGMF (Society for Gas as Marine Fuel) recommendations and guidelines.

“We believe LNG is today’s most sustainable marine fuel. The delivery of Coral Methane as an LNG bunker vessel, in partnership with Shell, underlines our dedication to LNG and marks the next step in our contribution to a sustainable supply chain,” remarked Klaas Kerssemakers, Chief Operating Officer of Anthony Veder. “The success of this project is due to an excellent cooperation with all parties involved, from the engineering phase up to and including our first LNG bunkering operation.”