Under this framework agreement, Shell will supply Carnival with fuel for its two new LNG-powered ships expected to enter service in 2020 and 2022 and to be homeported in North America.
The ships will be fueled through Shell's LNG bunker barge, a project that's part of Shell's strategic plan to develop a global LNG bunkering network. The ocean-going barge, which is designed to support growing cruise line demand for LNG as a marine fuel, will be the first of its kind in the US and will allow these ships to refuel with LNG at ports along the southern US East Coast.
Tahir Faruqui, president, Shell NA LNG, called the agreement a 'significant stepping stone in our relationship with Carnival Corporation building upon our previous LNG marine fuel supply agreements in Europe. It also marks a milestone as we continue to establish the marine LNG fuel market in the US as a credible part of the global marine fuel mix.'
The two Carnival ships will be fully powered by LNG, both while in port and at sea. The 180,000gt ships will be the largest ships in Carnival's fleet, with approximate double occupancy capacity of 5,200.
'We are proud to be on the forefront of advancing LNG as a fuel source for the cruise industry,' said Tom Strang, SVP maritime affairs for Carnival Corp. & plc. 'One of the keys to establishing LNG as a standard for powering cruise ships is building out an extensive, safe and reliable infrastructure across the globe for this clean burning fossil fuel. We are looking forward to working closely with Shell as they help to bring LNG to North America in what we hope will be the first step in building a strong foundation for the future of LNG fuel supply for cruise ships in the region.'
Carnival Corp. has agreements in place with Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to build seven LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its brands with delivery dates between 2018 and 2022. Besides the pair of Carnival ships, two are for AIDA Cruises (with deliveries in 2018 and 2021, two are for Costa Cruises (2019 and 2021) and one for P&O Cruises UK (2020).
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