Port of Málaga Completes First LNG Bunkering for Cruise Ship
Axpo Group supplied the fuel aboard Alisios LNG, a bunkering tanker that began operating from the Port of Huelva in March 2026; Orient Express Corinthian has 54 suites for 108 guests.
Spain’s Port of Málaga has completed its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation for a cruise ship, delivering 300 cubic meters of fuel to the hybrid-powered OE Corinthian. The port disclosed the transfer on Thursday.
The port authority said adding LNG delivery methods would help it serve a more varied vessel fleet and respond to increasing demand for alternative marine fuels. Energy company Axpo Group supplied the fuel using the bunkering tanker Alisios LNG, which began operations from the Port of Huelva in March 2026.
The operation falls within Málaga’s Green Port initiative, launched in 2019. The port links the transfer to the program’s objectives for energy efficiency, sustainability and the adoption of lower-emission fuels in maritime transport.
The receiving vessel, whose full name is Orient Express Corinthian, combines LNG propulsion with wind assistance. Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, the approximately 220-meter sailing cruise ship accommodates 108 guests in 54 suites.
Its sail system comprises three rotating, tilting rigid SolidSail units, each with an area of about 1,500 square meters. The ship achieved approximately 12 knots under sail alone during sea trials.
