Port of Málaga Carries Out Its First Ship-to-Ship LNG Bunkering Operation for a Cruise Ship

In October 2026, the Port of Málaga carried out the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering operation for a cruise ship using the ship-to-ship method, an operation that allows fuel to be transferred directly from a supply vessel to a receiving vessel. The service was provided to the cruise ship 'OE Corinthian', of the Orient Express brand, which received 300 cubic meters of LNG delivered by the vessel 'Alisios LNG', operated by the company Axpo.

The 'OE Corinthian' has a length overall of 220 meters and combines an LNG-powered hybrid propulsion system with three large rigid sails capable of providing wind propulsion under favorable sailing conditions. The Alisios LNG acted as the supply unit, transferring the fuel directly between the two vessels.

The port had already carried out its first LNG bunkering operation for a cruise ship in November 2023, the 'Silver Nova', but via tanker trucks. In March 2025, the first ship-to-ship operation for a container ship took place, with Axpo supplying a vessel of MSC Cargo; according to InfoPuertos, that operation involved approximately 2,800 metric tons and was carried out simultaneously with loading and unloading operations. In September 2025, Málaga added the first bio-LNG bunkering operation, of renewable origin, for the container ship 'MSC Gabon', also via ship-to-ship transfer.

These milestones add to the regular LNG supply operations that have been carried out since 2020 on the maritime route between Málaga and Melilla, via the vessel 'Rusadir', operated by Baleària. This activity is part of the Green Port initiative, through which the Port Authority of Málaga promotes sustainability, energy efficiency, and the transition toward fuels with lower environmental impact, reinforcing its positioning as a strategic hub in the Mediterranean.

InfoPuertos noted that the official information regarding the bunkering operation for the 'OE Corinthian' does not specify the duration of the maneuver or the vessel's subsequent consumption, so the 300 cubic meters delivered describe the volume of that specific operation without establishing an associated sailing range. The outlet also clarified that the statement identifies the fuel delivered as LNG, without attributing to it the renewable character that the bio-LNG supplied to the 'MSC Gabon' did have.