Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced that TGE Marine Gas Engineering will design two LNG fuel systems for the AIDA newbuilds coming out of Japan. When delivered in 2015 and 2016 they will be the world only cruise ships powered by LNG.
The engines will be technically dual fueled though as LNG bunkers are hard to come by on the more exotic routes that AIDA sails their vessels on.
That’s always been the problem with LNG as a bunker source. LNG is the future. There’s no doubt about that. The issue is having to refuel a ship every week and assuring that there is a steady supply always on hand at the turnaround port.