Miami-based cruise company Carnival Corporation & plc has signed an agreement with Shell Western LNG B.V. for the supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel two of its largest passenger cruise ships.
Under the agreement, Shell will supply LNG for the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ships due to start sailing in northwest Europe and the Mediterranean in 2019, Carnival said, adding that this will be the first time that LNG in dual-fuel engines will be used in the cruise industry to power ships both in port and at sea.
“We have been working closely with Carnival to get to this point in our commercial partnership. 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,” Lauran Wetemans, Shell’s General Manager Downstream LNG, said.
Under the terms of the agreement, one Carnival cruise ship will refuel from Shell’s special LNG bunker vessel that will load at the Gas Access to Europe terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The second ship is expected to refuel at one of the ports in the Western Mediterranean.