Costa Group, the unit of Carnival Company that operates Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, signed an MOU with a Switzerland-based methanol producer that the 2 firms say will spur the usage of methanol as a clear gas for the cruise business.
The transfer is consistent with different main cruise firms which have dedicated to growing methanol gas as a path towards turning into carbon impartial.
Carbon Impartial by 2050
The partnership between Costa Group and methane producer Proman, headquartered in Wollerau, Switzerland, will pace the vitality transition and decarbonization of Costa Group’s fleet, the businesses mentioned in an announcement on February 16.
It mentioned the pact will result in the retrofitting of present ships to allow them to run on the clear gas and the development of methanol-fueled new builds.
Costa Group Vice President of Decarbonisation Christoph Schladoer mentioned, ”We’re lowering the carbon footprint of our fleet whereas at port and at sea, investing in superior environmental applied sciences and partnering with firms equivalent to Proman who share a ardour for sustainable vitality transition.”
He added, “By enabling cruise ships to make use of methanol as a propulsion gas, Costa follows the ambition to take the subsequent huge step in the direction of GHG (greenhouse gasoline) impartial operations of our fleet by 2050.”
In comparison with standard fuels, renewable methanol cuts carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 95%, reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 80%, and fully eliminates sulfur oxide and particulate matter emissions, in line with the Methanol Institute, the commerce group for the methanol business.
Based on the U.S. Division of Power, the advantages of methanol gas embody decrease manufacturing prices in comparison with different different fuels, a decrease threat of flammability versus gasoline, and elevated vitality safety, as a result of it may be manufactured from a number of sources equivalent to biomass, coal, and pure gasoline.
Only one new-build cruise ship is being constructed with the potential to run on inexperienced methanol, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7. As a result of launch in 2024, the ship will run on lower-emission marine diesel however be fitted for methanol gas as nicely.
The two,900-guest Mein Schiff 7 is being constructed on the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. TUI Cruises is a three way partnership between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Whereas the Costa-Proman MOU announcement didn’t element particular actions, it famous that methanol is gaining floor instead gas that may assist to satisfy GHG discount objectives.
Proman’s Managing Director of Company Growth Tim Cornelius mentioned, ”The expertise to retrofit a vessel to simply accept methanol as a gas is offered as we speak. Our methanol merchandise can facilitate the transition to low carbon depth fuels. Methanol-powered vessels have a confirmed monitor file of lowering and eliminating main greenhouse gasoline emissions, delivering speedy air high quality enhancements round main ports and transport lanes.”
Different Gasoline Alternate options
Costa Group additionally famous that the corporate considers itself a sustainable innovator within the international cruise business by pioneering superior applied sciences on board its new and present ships.
It was the primary within the business to introduce liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) propulsion for decreasing emissions and has 4 ships crusing with LNG as we speak.
They embody two AIDA ships, the 5,252-guest AIDAnova, which launched in 2018, and the 6,654-guest AIDAcosma, which entered service in 2021, plus the 5,224-guest Costa Smeralda, which debuted in 2019, and the 6,600-guest Costa Toscana, which launched in 2022. A number of different cruise strains even have LNG-powered ships working as we speak.
One other main participant within the cruise business, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, mother or father firm of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, turned a member of the Methanol Institute in June 2022.
The corporate mentioned it was “assessing the feasibility of retrofitting present engines to function with twin fuels – diesel and methanol – with the aim to check the usage of methanol by 2025.”
