Costa Cruises extends collaboration with LC3 Trasporti

Friday, March 15, 2024

Costa Cruises is extending its collaboration with LC3 Trasporti, a leading Italian sustainable transport company, for the use of bio-LNG-powered trucks to transport supplies for the ships in its fleet.

In 2024, about 25% of the kilometers needed to supply Costa ships based in Europe will be covered by LC3 Trasporti trucks fueled by bio-LNG, the liquefied biomethane obtained by refining livestock waste.

This percentage rises to 42% if only Italian ports of call are taken into account.

The use of bio-LNG for road freight transport will make it possible to reduce net CO2 emissions by 87% and particulate emissions by almost 96% in comparison with emissions for a conventional Euro VI diesel vehicle carrying the same cargo and traveling the same distances.

The goods to be transported include various types of food, beverages, and technical supplies, which will be shipped from Costa Cruises’ warehouses in Genoa to the Italian company’s ships in the ports of Kiel, Hamburg, Venice, Taranto and Trieste.

In particular, the entire Genoa-Venice route, which crosses the Po Valley, one of the areas in Europe most exposed to particulate pollution, will be covered using only bio-LNG trucks.

The collaboration between Costa Cruises and LC3 Trasporti started in June 2023 with the delivery of supplies for a Costa ship departing from the port of Kiel.

Thanks to the use of bio-LNG trucks instead of traditional Euro VI diesel vehicles, out of a total of approximately 115,000 kilometers travelled in 2023, net CO2 emissions were reduced by 12,200 kg, and particulate emissions were reduced by approximately 384,000 mg.

“Our journey towards greenhouse gas neutrality continues under the banner of innovation. This applies not only to our fleet, but also to all the ancillary activities of cruising, including the logistics required to supply our ships. This is why, after a first positive experience in 2023, we have decided to extend our collaboration with LC3 Trasporti, an Italian partner that shares our values and vision,” said Marco Diodà, Vice President Procurement & Supply Chain at Costa Cruises.

Michele Ambrogi, President of LC3 Trasporti, adds: “The partnership with Costa Cruises marks a significant step towards decarbonization, also in the cruise sector, through the application of more sustainable logistics. With the extension of the partnership until 2024, LC3 will continue to contribute to the improvement of the environmental performance of Costa ship supplies in Italy and Europe, thanks to our bio-LNG trucks. This solution not only represents a significant reduction in emissions but is also a concrete step towards the full sustainability of heavy goods transport. In addition, the significant reduction in pollutants compared to conventional Euro VI diesel vehicles further enhances the value of this technology. We are grateful for the trust Costa Cruises has placed in LC3 Trasporti, a tangible example of how cooperation between companies can lead to innovative solutions that promote sustainability in the transport industry”.

Costa Cruises is an Italian company, based in Genoa, which is part of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise group.

For more than 75 years, Costa ships have been plying the seas of the world, offering guests a different destination every day, to be discovered through unique experiences, both on board and ashore.

Currently, the Costa fleet consists of 9 ships, all flying the Italian flag, sailing in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as offering “Around the World” and “Grand Cruises”, to visit different continents in a single holiday.

LC3 Trasporti has been operating in the road transport sector since 2009 with a fleet of over 250 vehicles, 60% of which are powered by alternative fuels such as biomethane and electricity.

This is the summary of the INBLUE experience, a project created to achieve the total elimination of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

In addition, since 2019, LC3 has launched on the Italian market a fleet of 20 cryogenic semitrailers, i.e. a nitrogen refrigeration technology for goods, a system with 0 emissions and 100% sustainability.

LC3 is focused on temperature-controlled and container transport to and from Italian ports. It can count on tracking systems for vehicles and goods transported in Italy and abroad.

In 2017, LC3 was awarded the “President of the Italian Republic Medal” for its sustainable vision in freight transport, in recognition of its commitment and green path.

« Back to Page

• Jan Swartz of Carnival Corporation Recognized for Sustainable Food Efforts

• Travel across the world in Easter with Costa Cruises ships

• Costa Cruises wins EU award for Diversity & Inclusion leadership

• Italian Coast Guard recognizes Costa and Aida Cruises for outstanding safety achievements

• FITUR Cruises returns with its full programme at IFEMA MADRID