Edison completes first LNG bunkering operation in Adriatic Sea

Italy-based energy firm Edison on Wednesday (30 July) announced that it has completed the liquefied natural gas (LNG) refuelling in the port of Trieste. 

The ship-to-ship bunkering operation is the first to take place in the Adriatic Sea and the first to be carried out by Edison through the use of the LNG carrier Ravenna Knutsen, which has been supplying the Ravenna LNG coastal depot (DIG).

The operation marked the start of more ship-to-ship bunkering operations in the port of Trieste.

 “We are proud to support our clients on their decarbonisation path and to announce the first ship-to-ship LNG refuelling in the Adriatic Sea. I would like to thank all the authorities, and in particular the Port Authority of Trieste, who made this important milestone possible,” said Fabrizio Mattana, Executive Vice President for Gas Assets at Edison. 

“After the commissioning of the coastal depot in Ravenna, which has become the reference in Italy for LNG supply in road transport, thanks to today’s operation Edison is the first in the LNG supply market for the maritime segment. 

“This is a sector with a high potential for reducing its emissions, and LNG is the solution available and competitive today. To consolidate our market presence, we are also developing a second LNG coastal depot in Southern Italy and a second LNG carrier ready for bunkering operations. So many concrete steps that confirm our commitment to sustainable mobility in Italy and the Mediterranean Sea”. 

According to Edison, the Ravenna Knutsen is a small LNG carrier with extreme operational flexibility, available to Edison under a contract with Norwegian shipowner Knutsen OAS Shipping. It was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries at the Mipo shipyard in South Korea. 

The LNG carrier can transport up to 30,000 cubic metres of LNG via three high-nickel steel tanks that are suitably insulated to withstand cryogenic temperatures. The ship has a double set of cargo manifolds (both low and high), which grant it utmost operational versatility, making it capable of operating with storage facilities and vessels of different sizes. 

Photo credit: Edison
Published: 1 August 2024