By
Alice Chambers |
Royal Caribbean Group became the first company to operate a cruise ship from a US port using renewable diesel fuel when Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas bunkered at the Port of Los Angeles in California, on 28 October.
The fuel for Navigator of the Seas was supplied by World Fuel Services and was produced from renewable raw materials using the same production process as traditional marine gas oil. This makes it a convenient ‘drop in’ fuel that can easily be used with the ship’s existing engines, while producing less carbon than traditional maritime fuels.
“We are extremely proud to be a part of Royal Caribbean Group’s journey toward making the cruise industry more sustainable by leveraging our renewable fuel distribution capabilities and technical expertise to facilitate the use of renewable fuel in a marine application,” said Michael J. Kasbar, chairman and CEO at World Fuel Services Corporation.
Royal Caribbean Group plans to expand the use of the lower carbon fuel across other ships in its fleet as part of its Destination Net Zero initiative. This work is also part of a joint venture with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which is exploring an alternative process for developing a sustainable biofuel.
“We are committed to investing in technologies and innovations that will help us reduce emissions and fulfil our purpose to deliver great vacations responsibly,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, vice president of shared services operations at Royal Caribbean Group. “As we celebrate this milestone, we continue to set our sights on other leading alternative solutions to meet our net zero goals.”
Royal Caribbean Group also plans to debut its first hybrid-powered ship as part of Silversea Cruises’ Nova class in summer 2023. It is also investing in shore power at several key cruise ports, including PortMiami, Florida, and is committed to introducing a new zero-energy cruise terminal in the Port of Galveston, Texas, USA.