Axpo and Vitol have completed the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation at the Port of Civitavecchia, Italy, refuelling a flagship vessel belonging to a leading international cruise line.

The operation marks a significant step in the expansion of alternative maritime fuel infrastructure across Italian ports. Civitavecchia, Italy's premier cruise port and the second-largest cruise port in Europe, now joins Genoa and Naples in offering LNG ship-to-ship refuelling services.

The bunkering was carried out by Green Pearl, a 7,500 m³ Italian bunkering vessel operated by Axpo. The ship-to-ship refuelling took place safely on Sunday morning at Civitavecchia's berth 18. Green Pearl was brought into service in 2026 and is dedicated to ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering operations in Italian ports.

Axpo Italia CEO Simone Demarchi said: "This latest operation shows the ability of our supply chain to grow rapidly and meet the needs of leading international cruise lines. Over the coming years, the shipping and cruise sectors will be called upon to accelerate their decarbonisation journey. Today, LNG is one of the most substantial and readily available solutions to help support this transition."

Vitol Head of Small Scale LNG & LNG Bunkering Stefan Dubbeldam added: "LNG and bio-LNG have a key role to play in reducing emissions from bunkering. Vitol is globally invested throughout the value chain, from upstream bio-LNG and LNG production and offtake, through to solutions for customers through our LNG Bunker Vessel fleet."

The extension of Axpo's LNG bunkering coverage to Civitavecchia, which serves as the primary seaport for Rome, follows the introduction of ship-to-ship LNG bunkering at Genoa in late 2025 and at Naples in May 2026. The roll-out forms part of Axpo's broader commitment to building a dedicated low-emission fuels supply chain for both the maritime and heavy transport sectors.

The expansion of LNG bunkering infrastructure at Italian ports comes as the shipping industry faces tightening regulatory pressure on emissions. The EU's FuelEU Maritime regulation, which took effect in 2025, requires operators to progressively reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board ships calling at EU ports. LNG, while a fossil fuel, produces lower carbon dioxide, sulphur oxide, and particulate emissions compared with conventional heavy fuel oil, making it one of the most widely adopted transition fuels for newbuild cruise vessels.

In addition to Green Pearl, Axpo has chartered Alisios LNG, a new 12,500 m³ capacity bunkering vessel for low-emission fuels, which became operational in Spain last March.

Source: Axpo