Axpo and Vitol have completed the first liquefied gas (LNG) bunkering operation at the Port of Civitavecchia in Italy, refueling a flagship vessel of a major international cruise line, the companies have said.
Green Pearl, a 7,500m³ Italian bunkering vessel operated by Axpo, safely conducted the ship-to-ship refueling operation Sunday morning at Civitavecchia’s berth 18. The vessel was brought into service in 2026 and is dedicated to ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck bunkering operations in Italian ports.
The Port of Civitavecchia – Italy’s largest and Europe’s second-largest port – now joins Genoa and Naples in offering LNG refueling services, representing a milestone in the development of infrastructure and service for alternative maritime fuels in Italian ports.
Axpo Italia CEO Simone Demarchi said, “Over the coming years, the shipping and cruise sectors will be called upon to accelerate their decarbonization journey,” adding that LNG is “one of the most substantial and readily available solutions to help support this transition.”
Vitol head of small-scale LNG and LNG bunkering Stefan Dubbeldam said that LNG and bio-LNGs have a “key role to play” in reducing emissions from bunkering.
The extension of Axpo’s coverage to Civitavecchia, the primary seaport for Rome, follows the launch of LNG ship-to-ship bunkering at Genoa in late 2025 and Naples in May this year.
In addition to Green Pearl, the company has also chartered Alisios LNG, a new 12,500m³ capacity bunkering vessel for low-emission fuels, which became operational in Spain last March.
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