zoomImage courtesy: Meyer Turku

Costa Smeralda, the first LNG-powered ship that will join the fleet of Italian cruise line Costa Cruises, has passed the technical sea trials carried out with liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The Costa Smeralda is the second cruise ship in the world, after AIDAnova, to use this fuel, both in port and at sea.

During the sea trials, which began on November 16, the ship carried out a series of tests to verify the correct operation of systems, equipment and engines with LNG propulsion.

Earlier this month, the ship also completed its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering undertaking at the Meyer Turku shipyard.

“The fueling of cruise ships with LNG is an innovation in which we were the first to believe five years ago, when we ordered the Costa Smeralda, setting an example for the sector which has since been followed by other companies. It is a safe and reliable technology, which is currently the most effective and feasible solution to ensure a significant reduction in the environmental impact of cruise ships in port and at sea,” Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises, commented.

Once the sea trials were finished, the ship returned to the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, to complete the interior layout.

The first Costa Smeralda cruise will depart from Savona on December 21, 2019, after delays that shipbuilder Meyer Turku assigned to “the high complexity and the sheer size of the ship project.”