Maritime transport is at the center of an unprecedented transformation, and LNG is the new industrial and logistical asset reshaping investments, maritime infrastructures, and energy strategies. In this scenario, Italy is increasingly taking on the role of a strategic hub for liquefied natural gas and bio-LNG. Behind the acceleration of investments in Italian ports, there is not only the ecological transition but also an industrial game worth billions of euros, with LNG as the fuel destined to change the balance of maritime logistics.
The LNG market boom
The use of LNG eliminates 100% of sulfur oxides (SOX), 80-90% of nitrogen oxides (NOX), and 25% of CO₂ compared to traditional fuels. The “Analysis of the European LNG market developments – 2026 Monitoring Report” by ACER shows that in 2025 the European Union imported 146 billion cubic meters of LNG. The European goal is ambitious. The FuelEU regulation indeed provides for an 80% reduction in the maritime sector’s emission intensity by 2050, but the data confirm that Italy is at the forefront of the European energy transition.
In fact, last year our country imported 20.6 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas, an increase of 6 billion compared to 2024. This increase placed Italy fourth in the EU by volume. A result achieved thanks to the synergy between institutions and private partners such as Axpo, GNV, OLT, and Carnival. A collaboration that is transforming the Mediterranean into a cutting-edge energy corridor, where emission reduction is the engine of economic growth.
The LNG fleet grows
The ferry and cruise sector is often at the center of criticism for its high environmental impact. According to historical data from environmental NGOs (Transport & Environment), a passenger on a traditional cruise ship can pollute, in terms of total emissions per kilometer, several times more than a trip by car or train. To radically reduce sulfur, particulate, and nitrogen emissions, several operators are focusing on LNG. According to the latest Federchimica report, the global LNG-powered fleet has reached 894 units, expected to reach 1,600 ships by 2030, according to the latest report by Assogasliquidi-Federchimica.
LNG bunkering accelerates
LNG refueling for ships is now an industrial reality regulated thanks to recent national guidelines from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MITT), which have unlocked commercial operations in full safety. Several operators are already strengthening the fleet for liquefied natural gas bunkering. For example, this year Axpo has enhanced its support fleet with the Green Pearl (7,500 m³) active in Italy and the Alisios LNG (with a capacity of 12,500 m³) launched in Spain. The Green Pearl is the first bunkering vessel in Europe that allows, alongside “ship-to-ship” operations (refueling ships), also “ship-to-truck” operations (refueling gas tanker trucks). This flexibility ensures a significant simplification of small-scale distribution operations and generates positive impacts in terms of energy security and support for the national economic fabric, allowing a shortening of the logistics chain and a more efficient distribution of LNG and bio-LNG to end users. Alisos LNG, on the other hand, is the low-emission fuel bunkering ship operational since last March in Spain. Two new entries that fit into Axpo’s plan to build a supply chain dedicated to low-emission fuels for the maritime and heavy transport sectors.
Naples as a reference point for bunkering
The development of bunkering infrastructures and the activation of new services in Italian ports represent a strategic element to accompany the evolution of the logistics and cruise sectors. In this perspective, on May 24, the group carried out the first liquefied natural gas bunkering on a cruise ship, the Sun Princess of Princess Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation, in the port of Naples. An operation that marks the official entry of the Neapolitan port into the exclusive club of Mediterranean ports capable of offering alternative fuel services, strengthening the competitiveness of the Central Tyrrhenian port system.
At the same time, the operation represents a piece of the broader development path of activities in the Small Scale LNG and Bio-LNG segment, currently under development both in Italy and Spain. In fact, in the Iberian Peninsula, LNG bunkering has quadrupled between 2023 and 2025. In the last year alone, loads increased by 64%.
Genoa, the green bunkering capital for ferries
The game changer of maritime transport will be bio-LNG, according to industry insiders. Indeed, it can be blended with or replace liquefied natural gas without modifying ships or docks. The potential is enormous and is driven by recent European regulations (the extension of the ETS to shipping and the FuelEU Maritime regulation). On December 4, 2025, the company GNV (MSC Group), in collaboration with Axpo Italy, carried out the first bio-LNG refueling in Italy on a long-distance passenger ferry, the GNV Virgo. The ship-to-ship operation involved the transfer of 500 cubic meters of biological fuel, allowing the ship to complete the Genoa-Palermo route with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
A milestone reached on March 11, 2026, by the GNV Aurora, the second LNG-powered unit of the fleet. Sea giants of about 53,000 tons of tonnage and a capacity of over 1,700 passengers equipped with cutting-edge technologies that reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 50% and are already prepared for cold ironing (shore power). Tests will begin in Genoa by summer 2026.
The role of Small Scale LNG
The last link in the green chain of future maritime logistics is Small Scale LNG. This system allows recharging small methane ships to supply coastal depots, isolated industries, heavy transport hubs, or other ships. The main advantage of this method is avoiding investments in new pipelines. Not surprisingly, the global Small Scale LNG market operates on significant numbers, with a global value estimated at 21.7 billion dollars, expected to exceed 30 billion dollars by 2030, with an annual growth rate of 8.5%. Italy is already working to not miss this train and confirms its potential as a Mediterranean hub. In March, the OLT Toscana FSRU terminal (off the coast of Livorno) officially inaugurated the Small Scale LNG (SSLNG) service.
The delivery of the first 4,000 m³ load via the tanker, operated by Axpo, Green Zeebrugge, was successfully completed with the loading of the first commercial Small Scale LNG cargo. An operation that launched national bunkering services and, at the same time, unlocked the Tyrrhenian logistics chain. Market interest in this innovation is already very high. Just think that between October and December 2025, 15 slots for this service have already been allocated.
