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LNG Bunkering

Double milestone celebrated at Fincantieri shipyard for MSC LNG-fuelled cruise ships

Occasion was celebrated at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard with float out and steel cutting of two new units from the new luxury cruise brand launched by MSC Group.
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Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on Wednesday (6 September) said a double milestone was celebrated at Fincantieri’s Sestri Ponente (Genoa) shipyard with the float out and steel cutting of the two new LNG-fuelled cruise ships from Explora Journey, new luxury cruise brand launched by the MSC Group.

After two months after the delivery of Explora I, which took place in Monfalcone on July 20, a double ceremony  was held for the float out of Explora II and the steel cutting of Explora III.

The two ships represent the second and third vessels out of a total of as many as four ordered by the MSC Group from Fincantieri. 

The total investment for the four ships is about EUR 2.3 billion and is capable of generating a spillover effect on the Italian economy of more than EUR 10 billion along with an extremely high employment impact, as the construction of each individual ship requires more than 7 million man-hours of work and the average employment of 2,500 people for more than two years.

Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys, said: “Today’s double ceremony represents an important step forward in building and strengthening our brand, which is redefining the standards of luxury ocean travel thanks to the unparalleled experience that Explora Journeys’ ships are able to offer our guests. These ships, that are also at the forefront from an environmental point of view, are among the best ambassadors of Made in Italy in the world and bear witness to both Italy’s high manufacturing and shipbuilding capacity, and to the MSC Group’s commitment to a country in which we continue to believe and invest very significant resources”.

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri, said: “Today’s double ceremony fully expresses Fincantieri’s great productive commitment to the realisation for the MSC Group of the Explora class, a project that guarantees the highest quality standards and was conceived from the beginning to accelerate the path toward the zero-emission ship”.

After being launched into the water today with the technical launch, Explora II will be completed in the coming months and delivered in the summer of the next year, spending her first seasons in the Mediterranean discovering the most striking locations in the Mare Nostrum, including some enchanting Italian destinations such as Portofino, the Argentario, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Palermo, Syracuse, Trapani, Lipari, Cagliari, Alghero and the Costa Smeralda. Explora I, which is successfully concluding its inaugural season in Europe and during the winter season will sail between the Caribbean and the East and West Coasts of the United States, will also return to the Mediterranean in the summer of 2024 to take its guests to discover destinations such as Puglia, Sicily and Venice.

Explora III, whose construction began with a traditional steel cutting ceremony, will enter service in the summer of 2026 and will be the first ship in the Explora fleet to be powered by LNG. 

In January 2024, construction will begin on EXPLORA IV, also powered by LNG, which will be completed in early 2027.

Photo credit: Fincantieri 
Published: 13 September, 2023

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Port & Regulatory

China sees rapid growth in new-energy, clean-energy vessels for domestic market

Country has over 600 LNG vessels, primarily used for inland cargo transport, and 485 battery-powered electric vessels, mostly serving as passenger ferries.
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July 8, 2025

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Vice Transport Minister Fu Xuyin MT

China is accelerating its shift to use greener bunker fuels in inland water transport, with more than 1,000 vessels powered by new energy or clean energy now operating nationwide, according to the Ministry of Transport.

As of the end of 2024, the country had over 600 liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels, primarily used for inland cargo transport, and 485 battery-powered electric vessels, mostly serving as passenger ferries, Vice Transport Minister Fu Xuyin told a press conference on 27 June.

A smaller number of inland vessels powered by methanol or hydrogen fuel cells are also in use, Fu added.

China’s electric vessel industry has developed rapidly in recent years, leading globally in both scale and technological advancement, he said.

Alongside upgrading vessels, China is accelerating efforts to develop green, low-carbon ports, and this includes expanding and renovating inland port terminals with a focus on sustainability, Fu noted.

China is also developing near-zero-carbon inland terminals, encouraging the use of wind and solar power at ports, promoting the use of new energy and clean energy in port machinery and on-site transport vehicles, and prioritizing rail and new-energy trucks for bulk cargo handling, he added.

 

Photo credit: Xu Xiang/China State Council Information Office
Published: 8 July 2025

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Bunker Fuel

Titan adopts FuelBoss by Ofiniti for digital bunkering and live delivery insights

Per-Christian Dettwiler, CPO of Titan, says the firm has reached a scale where manual coordination and paper-driven workflows are no longer sustainable and needed a digital platform that can evolve with it.

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July 7, 2025

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Titan adopts FuelBoss by Ofiniti for digital bunkering and live delivery insights

Ofiniti, a provider of digital solutions for maritime bunker operations, on Thursday (3 July) said LNG bunker fuel supplier Titan Clean Fuels (Titan) is adopting its FuelBoss platform to meet higher demand for cleaner marine fuels and offer digitalised bunker operations. 

Ofiniti said Titan, which started as a small-scale LNG bunkering initiative, has rapidly evolved into a larger regional player in LNG and bio-LNG. 

“Confidence is continuing to grow in the sector, with recent reports showing that LNG accounts for 87 of the 151 alternative-fuelled vessels ordered in H1 of 2025,” the company said in a social media post. 

Subsequently, Titan is bolstering its capacity to handle higher demand with the FuelBoss software providing a digital backbone for increasing operational planning, scheduling and execution.

“We have reached a scale where manual coordination and paper-driven workflows are no longer sustainable. To maintain reliability, efficiency, and transparency across our growing operations, we needed a digital platform that can evolve with us. FuelBoss gives us the structure and visibility to execute consistently – no matter the vessel, port, or partner involved,” said Per-Christian Dettwiler, Chief Operating Officer of Titan.

FuelBoss enables real-time delivery coordination between vessels, suppliers, terminals, surveyors, and customers. This means reduced operational friction, more transparent communication, and the ability to meet the rising expectations of a broad customer base from cruise operators to deep-sea cargo fleets. 

“Titan exemplifies what a future-ready marine fuel supplier looks like: fast-growing, ambitious, and uncompromising on service quality. With clients spanning both regulated and high-performance environments, they expect structured, digital workflows by default, with eBDN being a part of this. We’re proud to support Titan on their mission to scale clean fuel delivery with confidence,” said Martin Christian Wold, VP Business Development of Ofiniti.

 

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 7 July, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

Axpo Solutions wraps up first LNG STS bunkering operation in Port of Sines

During the operation, the company safely bunkered 2,700 metric tonnes of LNG to “MSC Togo”, carried out under Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS), in Port of Sines in Portugal.

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July 7, 2025

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Axpo Solutions wraps up first-ever LNG STS bunkering operation in Port of Sines

Axpo Solutions has successfully completed the first ever LNG Ship-to-Ship (STS) bunkering operation in Port of Sines in Portugal, according to Daniele Corti, Head of Small Scale LNG of the company, on Saturday (5 July).

During the operation, the company safely bunkered 2,700 metric tonnes (mt) of LNG to MSC Togo, carried out under Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS).

“At Axpo, we’re deeply committed to expanding the availability of LNG as a marine fuel in more ports across Europe, supporting the meaningful decarbonisation of the maritime transport sector,” he said in a social media post. 

“We look forward to continuing our mission to enable cleaner shipping across Europe!”

 

Photo credit: Axpo Solutions
Published: 7 July, 2025

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