Carnival completes LNG bunkering milestone

Carnival Corporation said on June 1 that Carnival Jubilee became the first cruise ship to take on liquefied natural gas in Latin America and the western Caribbean, using a mobile bunkering setup at Isla Tropicale in Roatán, Honduras. The company said the operation was the cruise industry’s first in the region and added a new LNG fueling point along western Caribbean itineraries. Carnival said the move was carried out with government and industry partners and fits its plan to widen access to LNG across its fleet. The company has tied LNG use to its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions from ship operations by 2050. ### Why is Roatán the important detail here? Roatán is the key operational detail because Carnival said the island’s position allows LNG-capable ships to refuel with limited disruption to western Caribbean routes. The company said that makes Isla Tropicale a practical stop for ships already sailing nearby ports rather than requiring a separate detour to a major LNG hub. (prnewswire.com) Carnival has invested $93 million in Isla Tropicale since the destination opened in 2009, according to reporting that cited the company. That investment has helped turn Roatán into a regular stop in Carnival’s Caribbean network, with about 9 million visitors and roughly $750 million in estimated economic impact for the island, the same report said. (prnewswire.com) ### What exactly happened in the bunkering operation? Carnival said the ship was supplied through a mobile LNG fueling solution rather than a permanent onshore terminal. Trade publication Engine reported the operation was the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering completed at the port, though Carnival did not disclose the LNG volume, the supplier or the bunker vessel involved. (cruiseandferry.net) The vessel involved was Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Jubilee, one of the group’s LNG-capable ships. Trade outlets including Cruise Industry News and PortNews separately reported the same ship and location details after the June 1 announcement. ### How big is LNG inside Carnival’s fleet now? (prnewswire.com) Carnival said it was the first cruise company to introduce LNG in 2018 and now operates 11 LNG-capable cruise ships. The company said seven more LNG-capable ships are expected to join the fleet by the end of 2033, which would bring the total to 18. (cruiseindustrynews.com) Carnival’s LNG fact sheet says those 18 ships would represent about one-third of its capacity by 2033. The same document says LNG can cut carbon emissions by up to 20% versus conventional marine fuels and sharply reduce sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. ### What did Carnival and Honduras say about the milestone? (carnivalcorp.com) Michael McNamara, Carnival’s vice president for strategic sourcing-fuel, said the operation reflected “collaboration and operational planning” to expand LNG bunkering across the company’s fleet. He said bringing the capability to Latin America and the western Caribbean supports key itineraries while advancing Carnival’s emissions strategy. (carnivalcorp.com) Miguel Ángel Gámez, director general of hydrocarbons and biofuels at Honduras’ Secretariat of Energy, said LNG bunkering in Roatán showed the role Honduras could play in maritime energy in the western Caribbean. He also said the project supports the country’s broader energy and economic priorities. ### What changes next for ships in the region? (prnewswire.com) The immediate change is that Carnival now has another LNG fueling option inside a core cruise geography rather than relying only on established bunkering points outside the western Caribbean. Carnival said the Roatán operation adds regional flexibility for itinerary planning, and the company’s next fleet milestone is the arrival of seven additional LNG-capable ships by the end of 2033. (markets.ft.com) (prnewswire.com)