Gasum bunkers Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas with bio-LNG

Nordic gas company Gasum has successfully bunkered Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, with liquefied biogas (bio-LNG). The bunkering operation took place at the end of June, as announced by Gasum on August 9 via LinkedIn.

Utopia of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship, notable for being the first in its class to be powered by LNG. The ship can operate on LNG, bio-LNG, or a combination of both, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional marine fuels.

The ship was constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, and embarked on its journey to its home base at Port Canaveral in Florida using the bunkered bio-LNG. Gasum highlighted that bio-LNG is an effective means to reduce CO2 emissions in maritime transport, with the potential for life cycle emissions to be negative, depending on the feedstock used.

Gasum produces biomethane at its 17 biogas plants and supplies bio-LNG to maritime customers on a mass balance basis. The company is also planning to start distributing synthetic e-methane by 2026.