Axpo has successfully completed the first LNG bunkering of a cruise ship in Naples, Italy, when ship-to-ship refuelling took place for the ‘Sun Princess’, operated by Princess Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation.
The operation is a considered significant milestone in the development of infrastructure and services for alternative marine fuels in Italy, supporting the transition to lower emission fuels.
The ship-to-ship refuelling operation was performed using the Green Zeebrugge LNG bunkering tanker, previously deployed in the Port of Genoa. The transfer of LNG to the cruise ship Sun Princess represents a key step in the expansion of LNG in the maritime sector, thereby supporting emission reduction efforts within this industry.
Axpo Head of Small-Scale LNG Daniele Corti said: “This operation is further demonstration that an alternative fuel infrastructure is truly up and running. When industry partners collaborate towards a common goal, Europe’s shipping industry makes real progress towards lowering emissions. I’d like to thank the local authorities and Carnival Corporation for enabling this significant milestone.”
John Haeflinger, SVP Maritime Policy and Analysis, Carnival Corporation, added: “This milestone marks important progress for Carnival Corporation as we continue expanding the use of LNG across our world-class cruise lines including Princess Cruises. Advancing access to alternative fuels in key ports is essential to supporting our efforts to reduce emissions, and this milestone reflects the power of collaboration across our industry.”
The operation was the result of close collaboration between Axpo, the Port System Authority of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Terminal Napoli, and the Port Authority of Naples, which coordinated operational and regulatory activities related to the bunkering operation. LNG is seen as being central to Europe’s energy security and supply diversification. According to a report by the EU energy regulatory agency ACER – Analysis of the European LNG market developments – 2026 Monitoring Report – the EU imported 146bn m3 of LNG in 2025. Italy led this growth, importing 20.6bn m3, a 6bn increase from 2024, making it Europe’s second-fastest growing LNG importer after Belgium. This reflects the maritime sector’s imperative to reduce emissions in line with international decarbonisation targets, including the FuelEU Regulation’s goal of an 80% reduction by 2050 compared to 2020 levels. Developing bunkering infrastructure and marine fuel services in Italian ports is therefore critical to supporting the logistics and cruise industries’ transition towards more sustainable operations.
Following the first ship-to-ship bio-LNG refuelling in Italy in December 2025, the Naples operation is another important first in Axpo’s strategy to build a comprehensive small-scale LNG and bio-LNG supply chain across Italy and Spain. The company is developing critical bunkering infrastructure for maritime and heavy transport sectors, including the Green Pearl, a 7,500 m³ vessel launched in January 2026 for ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck operations in Italian ports, and the Alisos LNG (12,500 m³), which began operations in Spain in March 2026.
Image: ‘Sun Princess’ (source: Princess Cruises)
