The launch in Genoa of the Green Pearl, the technologically advanced LNG-bunkering tanker, marks a defining moment for the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority and for the overall planned decarbonisation of shipping in the Mediterranean. The message was highlighted by the Port President, Matteo Paroli, at the ceremonial presentation held at the newly redeveloped Genoa Waterfront location.
“Today we have tangible proof that a combination of Italian commitment, technology and professionalism can achieve what had not been possible for thirty years,” Paroli stated. “The Green Pearl is not merely a small coastal vessel, but a true tanker: a 7,500-cubic-metre LNG-bunkering vessel capable of operating without limitations and simultaneously providing the Ports of Genoa with new opportunities to develop.” Designed and built in Italy, across a joint venture between Gas and Heat S.p.A. and the San Giorgio del Porto shipyard in Genoa, chartered by Axpo Group, the Green Pearl constitutes a driving force in the Italian and European bunkering industry behind the ongoing transition towards cleaner fuels, such as LNG and bio-LNG, with the deployment of ship-to-ship and ship-to-truck operating modes. The vessel is scheduled to carry out bunkering operations in the Tyrrhenian ports, consolidating the role of Genoa, Savona and Vado as a leading green energy and logistics hub.
In his address, President Paroli highlighted the project’s strategic value in the further reconciliation of the competitiveness of the port with the protection of the environment: “With the launch of the Green Pearl, an approach towards collaborative planning models, based upon greater integration between the port, the city and the local territory, becomes simpler and more tangible. This interaction generates added value, economic returns and immediate environmental benefits for all those who work and live alongside our ports.”
In fact, the deployment of LNG, compared to traditional fossil fuels, releases fewer emissions into the atmosphere, with a sharp cut in CO₂ and an overall reduction in sulphur oxides and particulate matter. Once fully operational, up to 56 ferry LNG bunkering operations per week are expected at the Port of Genoa, delivering direct benefits for shipping lines, terminal operators and citizens alike.
This milestone has been achieved across the close teamwork between the maritime authorities. “The coordination of the Western Ligurian Sea Authority alone would not have been sufficient without the work and expertise of the Harbour Master,” the President noted, thanking Admiral Ranieri and his team for ensuring streamlined, safe and time-certain procedures, essential in moving successfully beyond initial demonstrations and pilot testing to full, routine operations.
The deployment of the Green Pearl forms part of the Port Authority’s broader strategy towards the clean energy transition and the promotion of sustainable competitiveness across Genoa, Savona and Vado. Ongoing infrastructure projects include the installation of onshore power supply facilities at the cruise and ferry terminals; smart energy distribution and storage hubs; photovoltaic panels across the port; and the forthcoming construction of a coastal LNG storage facility in Vado Ligure to serve the bunkering supply chain in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea.
“The technical feat of engineering has been successfully achieved. Now another, but nevertheless equally important, challenge begins: communicating the value of these investments to the city,” President Paroli concluded. “We must make it clear that the port is not a problem, but part of the solution—a driver of economic development that can simultaneously strike a balance with environmental protection and an improved quality of life for the local community. This is a challenge that we want to win together, in cooperation with all the major stakeholders, namely, the Region, the Municipalities and Harbour Master, alongside our private sector partners.”
