Portugal’s only oil and natural gas operator Galp Energia carried out the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering of a vessel at a Portuguese port of Funchal on the island of Madeira.
Galp bunkered Aida Cruises’ LNG-powered cruise liner the AIDAprima, that is able to operate on LNG while in port, in partnership with Gaslink, a Groupo Sousa unit that runs the LNG transportation and supply logistics between Portugal’s mainland and the port of Funchal.
The LNG supplied to the liner amounted to the average daily consumption of 42.000 households, Galp said, adding that the volumes have been delivered in cryogenic containers to the Madeira island.
Galp stated that it now has the capacity to bunker ships with LNG at any port of mainland Portugal and islands and is set to provide ship-to-ship refueling.
The 124,100-ton vessel will be able to accommodate 3,300 passengers that will have its homeport in Hamburg, was build by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and delivered to AIDA Cruises in March last year.