Company's seven LNG newbuilds will refuel using Shell’s infrastructure in cruise ports
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Shell Western LNG (Shell) to supply marine LNG fuel for Carnival Corporation’s new LNG-powered cruise ships, the first two of which will debut in the AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises fleets in 2019.
Equipped with dual-fuel engines, the two vessels are the first of Carnival Corporation’s seven cruise ships that will be fully powered by LNG both while in port and at sea. Costa and AIDA will each take delivery of a second LNG ship in 2021, while Carnival Cruise Line will welcome dual-fuel vessels in 2020 and 2022, and P&O Cruises UK is expected to get its first LNG newbuild in 2020.
The ships will use Shell’s infrastructure in cruise ports to refuel with LNG throughout their itineraries.
“We are committed to reducing our air emissions and improving air quality by evaluating new and established solutions such as LNG – an especially promising option because of its environmental and other benefits," said Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs for Carnival Corporation. "We are proud to be on the forefront of advancing LNG as a fuel source for the cruise industry and creating an entirely new model for powering next-generation cruise ships. We look forward to a productive partnership with Shell, which has the experience and shared commitment to quality, safety and operational efficiency needed to help us bring this innovative LNG initiative to life with the first fully LNG-powered ships in the global cruise industry.”
The agreement builds on the partnership established between AIDA Cruises and Shell in April 2016 to supply AIDAprima with LNG while in port.
As part of the new framework agreement, Carnival Corporation and Shell have the opportunity to partner together on supplying marine LNG fuel to future LNG-powered vessels or additional itineraries. The overarching agreement enables each Carnival Corporation brand to negotiate individual LNG supply contracts with Shell as new LNG-powered cruise ships begin to launch in coming years.
“We have been working closely with Carnival to get to this point in our commercial partnership,” said Lauran Wetemans, general manager of Downstream LNG at Shell. “Working together from an early stage is critical in helping the transition to cleaner LNG cruising. This is a unique partnership that will contribute to a robust and reliable LNG fuel supply chain, along with opportunities for future growth.”