• 16 Nov 2020

Coinciding with the International Forum "LNG in the Euro-Mediterranean corridor and the role of the Logistic System of Genoa and Liguria", promoted by the Liguria Region and Genoa Metropolitan City, and organised by ConferenzaGNL, the La Spezia Harbour Master's Office published on 13 November the Order no. 174 approving the attached Regulation for the ship-to-ship LNG bunkering activities for passenger ships docking in the La Spezia port https://www.guardiacostiera.gov.it/la--pezia/Documents/Ord.%20174.pdf

The measure regulates all phases of the LNG loading operation from small tankers to large cruise ships. The Regulation, still in draft but approved, was used for the first ever refuelling operation in Italy, on 25 October last, which was therefore not of an experimental nature.

The refuelling was carried out by the tanker Coral Methane, owned by the Dutch specialist shipowner Antony Veder, rented by Shell, which supplied the LNG. The ship supplied was the Costa Smeralda, flagship of the Costa Cruises fleet of the Carnival Group, the largest and most modern cruise ship in the world (Read more HERE).

The Regulation was drawn up by a multidisciplinary Working Group set up on 25 September by the Maritime Director of Liguria. As announced, the experts have analysed in detail the progress of the first operation in order to make any changes. In the Decree establishing the Working Group, a mandate was also given for the preparation of a "guideline route for the regulation of LNG bunkering of vessels climbing the ports of Genoa Maritime Directorate (in addition to La Spezia, Savona and Genoa itself n.d.r.)".

In justifying the acceptability of LNG bunkering operations in La Spezia - Sunday's bunkering was the fiftieth for Costa Crociere's LNG ships in other ports - the regulation explains in detail all the risk analyses carried out and those to be carried out from time to time. The measure was prepared and adopted in the absence of national guidelines.

The publication of the La Spezia Regulation opens the way to the possible adoption, with the appropriate modifications required by the specific conditions of each port, by other Harbour Offices, aligning the national port system with that of the many countries where the use of this type of fuel is now commonplace, such as Spain, Germany and others in Northern Europe and the world.

The regulation also analyses and authorises the use of bio-LNG, the next use of which will allow ships of all types of LNG to comply with the stringent regulations decided by the IMO, International Maritime Organization, a UN agency, for the limits to emissions from the chimney for 2050.

The Costa Smeralda is the only LNG ship that has resumed navigation after being detained for the health emergency, thanks to the adoption of stringent safety measures to avoid contamination risks, approved by the Technical Scientific Committee for the pandemic. In addition to the Costa Smeralda, other ships of the Italian flag company have been sailing for several weeks without any problems, and this has allowed the cruises to continue despite the most recent government restrictions on quarantine conditions.

Source: ConferenzaGNL