The Swiss energy company Axpo has completed the first LNG supply operation to a cruise ship in the port of Naples (Italy). The ship-to-ship bunkering took place on May 24 with the Sun Princess vessel, operated by Princess Cruises, a brand belonging to Carnival Corporation, the largest cruise operator in the world.
The operation was conducted using the LNG tanker Green Zeebrugge, previously deployed in the port of Genoa. The transfer of LNG to the Sun Princess represents a significant step in the expansion of alternative fuel infrastructure and services for the maritime sector in Italy, in a context of increasing regulatory pressure to reduce emissions.
The supply was the result of collaboration between Axpo, the Central Tyrrhenian Port Authority, Terminal Napoli, and the Port Authority of Naples, which coordinated the operational and regulatory activities related to the bunkering operation.
Daniele Corti, responsible for small-scale LNG at Axpo, stated: "This operation demonstrates that the alternative fuel infrastructure is truly operational. When industry partners collaborate towards a common goal, the European shipping sector makes real progress in reducing emissions. I want to thank the local authorities and Carnival Corporation for making this milestone possible."
For his part, John Haeflinger, senior vice president of maritime policy and analysis at Carnival Corporation, declared: "This milestone represents an important advancement for Carnival Corporation as we continue to expand the use of LNG in our premier cruise lines, including Princess Cruises. Facilitating access to alternative fuels in key ports is essential to support our emissions reduction efforts, and this achievement reflects the power of collaboration across our industry."
LNG plays an increasingly important role in European energy security and supply diversification. According to a report from the EU energy regulatory agency (ACER), titled "Analysis of the European LNG market developments – 2026 Monitoring Report", the European Union imported 146 billion cubic meters of LNG in 2025. Italy led that growth with 20.6 billion cubic meters imported, an increase of 6 billion compared to 2024, making it the second-largest LNG importer with the highest growth in Europe, only behind Belgium.
This increase reflects the maritime sector's need to reduce emissions in line with international decarbonization targets, including the goal of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation to achieve an 80% reduction by 2050 compared to 2020 levels. The development of bunkering infrastructure and maritime fuel services at Italian ports is therefore key to supporting the transition of the logistics and cruising sector towards operations with a lower environmental footprint.
The Naples operation is part of Axpo's strategy to build a small-scale LNG and bio-LNG supply chain in Italy and Spain. In December 2025, the company performed the first bio-LNG ship-to-ship refueling in Italy. Since then, Axpo has continued to expand its fleet and infrastructure: in January 2026 it put into service the Green Pearl, a vessel of 7,500 m³ designed for ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck operations at Italian ports, while in March 2026 it began operating in Spain the Alisos LNG, with a capacity of 12,500 m³.
