"Green Pearl," the LNG bunkering vessel whose charter has been commissioned by Axpo in August 2023, is scheduled to arrive in the port of Genoa any day now. Upon completion of outfitting in the Ligurian capital, the ship will become the first floating example of technology application for continuous ship-to-truck operations. A model for leveraging innovation as a key element in contributing to the decarbonization goals of the maritime industry as well through the creation of a more sustainable energy mix.
Work to complete the construction of the LNG bunkering vessel, whose charter was contracted by Axpo in the summer of 2023, continues and the ship will soon be seen in the port of Genoa at the San Giorgio del Porto construction yard, where the final outfitting phase will be completed before official delivery to the shipowner, estimated by late summer 2025.
The ship, built for ATI between Gas and Heat S.p.A. and San Giorgio del Porto, with the unmistakable aquamarine color that earned it the name "Green Pearl", will dock at the quay of the San Giorgio del Porto Shipyard in Genoa in the coming days.
At the Genoese shipyard, all ship completion, installation of tanks and cargo facilities (built in Livorno by Gas and Heat S.p.A.), commissioning and operational tests will be completed before delivery to the Shipowner and consequently to the Charterer for the start of operations.
The collaboration between Axpo, San Giorgio del Porto and Gas and Heat S.p.A. make the Green Pearl a concentrate of innovation and technology destined to bring sustainability to the maritime industry. The ship, with a capacity of 7,500 cubic meters of LNG, is in fact the first European example of the application of a bunkering system that will enable it to provide both "ship-to-ship" and "ship-to-truck" services. The first, also known as "ship-to-ship bunkering," is the transfer of bunkering fuel (in this case, LNG and bio-LNG) from one ship to another and is typically performed for ocean-going vessels. The second, via a special skid placed on the ship, called LNG4Speed® patented by Gas and Heat, involves the transfer of LNG with the highest safety standards, to tanker trucks ashore, which then transport and distribute the LNG by road to end users.
The pioneering project will contribute to the achievement of decarbonization goals by supporting the increasing use of LNG as a fuel for maritime activities. The LNG bunkering solution will participate in creating a more sustainable energy mix while supporting the national economy and the country's energy security.