Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises has signed a deal with LC3 Trasporti to use bio-LNG-powered trucks to transport supplies needed by its cruise ships in Northern Europe.
The collaboration between the two Italian companies will officially begin on May 19, when the cruise ship Costa Firenze will call for the first time in the port of Kiel, Germany, according to a statement by Costa Cruises.
Costa Cruises said the vessel will depart Kiel weekly until mid-September to offer seven-day cruises to the Norwegian fjords.
The supply of goods needed by the ship, such as some types of food, beverages, and technical supplies, will be transported from Costa Cruises’ warehouses in Genoa to Kiel using LC3 Transport trucks powered by bio-LNG, the liquefied biomethane obtained by refining waste from the livestock industry, it said.
According to LC3 Transport’s website, the company has a fleet of Iveco LNG trucks.
Costa Cruises claims the use of this alternative fuel for the road transport of goods will cut CO2 emissions by almost 90 percent, and particulate emissions by almost 100 percent as compared to a conventional Euro VI diesel vehicle.
“Sustainability is a key asset in Costa Cruises’ business model. We have introduced major innovations in our industry, such as the first LNG-powered ships, and we remain committed to research and development of further technologies, with the ambition of achieving a net-zero fleet by 2050. Our commitment also extends to all cruise-related activities, including the logistics needed to supply our ships,” said Marco Diodà, VP procurement and supply chain at Costa Cruises.
Last year, Costa Cruises christened its LNG-powered newbuild, Costa Toscana, in the Spanish port of Barcelona.
Costa Cruise took delivery of this 337 meters long cruise ship in December 2021 from the Meyer Turku yard in Finland.
It is a sister vessel to LNG-powered Costa Smeralda that joined the Italian brand of Carnival in 2019.
