The Costa Smeralda has completed her first LNG bunkering in the port of Barcelona, the line announced Wednesday.
The refueling gives the 5,224-passenger ship power for at least two weeks of cruising.
The Coral Methane tanker ship filled Costa Smeralda’s three tanks with a total of around 3,200 cubic meters of LNG. Two of these tanks measure around 35 meters in length and 8 meters in diameter, each with a capacity of 1,525 cubic meters. A third tank, measuring 5 meters in diameter, is 28 meters long and has a capacity of around 520 cubic meters. All three are built with cryogenic steel, covered with special insulating materials and installed in specific protected spaces. Costa plans to always refuel in Barcelona.
The Costa Smeralda is the first Costa ship to be fueled by LNG both in port and at sea. The Costa Group (including Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Costa Asia) is the first cruise operator to introduce LNG. It has ordered a total of five new ships fueled by LNG to be delivered by 2023 and destined to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the entire fleet.
Barcelona is the first port to welcome the Smeralda after the ship left Meyer shipyard in Turku, where she was built, Dec. 6. The next port of call will be Savona. On Dec. 21, Costa Smeralda will sail from Savona on its first 1-week cruise, calling at Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.
