Cruise Ship First to Bunker LNG at Civitavecchia

Axpo and Vitol have completed the first LNG bunkering operation at the Port of Civitavecchia in Italy, refueling the flagship vessel of an international cruise line.

Green Pearl, a 7,500 m³ Italian bunkering vessel operated by Axpo, conducted the ship-to-ship refueling operation at Civitavecchia’s berth 18. 

Operated by Axpo, Green Pearl was brought into service in 2026 and is dedicated to ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering operations in Italian ports.

The operation means that Italy’s premier cruise port, and Europe’s second largest, now joins Genoa and Naples which both began offering LNG refueling services last year.

Axpo is committed to building a dedicated low-emission fuels supply chain for the maritime and heavy transport sectors. In addition to Green Pearl, the company has also chartered Alisios LNG, a new 12,500 m³ capacity bunkering vessel for low-emission fuels, which became operational in Spain last March.