Royal Caribbean Retrofitting 19 Ships

By Mark Edward Nero

Royal Caribbean Cruises says it will retrofit 19 of its cruise ships with exhaust gas scrubbers beginning early next year.

The systems, technically known as “advanced emissions purification systems,” or AEP, are expected to remove more than 97 percent of the sulfur dioxide emissions generated by the ships’ diesel engines, according to the cruise line.

Beginning in January 2015, installation will take place on 13 Royal Caribbean International ships and six Celebrity Cruises ships during scheduled drydockings and while ships are in service. While preliminary work has begun on several of the ships receiving AEP systems, most will take place between 2015 and 2017, according to the cruise line. Each installation is expected to take about eight months. Royal Caribbean says it is performing the work in order to stay in front of any forthcoming international emissions standards and also to be in compliance with existing standards.

The decision to install purification systems instead of switching to a fuel with a lower sulfur content will ensure that Royal Caribbean’s ships can be compliant everywhere they sail, according to the company.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has been involved in development, testing and planning for the use of advanced purification systems technology since 2010. Two newly built ships that entered into service in 2014, Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas and TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 3, were among the first cruise ships to be built with AEP systems installed during initial construction. Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas has been operating one of its six engines with a retrofitted AEP system for two years.

AEP systems ‘scrub’ exhaust gases by injecting high volumes of water spray into the exhaust stream, removing more than 97 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions.

“AEP technology for maritime vessels is very new, and we expect that by utilizing multiple technological solutions to accommodate the differences among our ships, additional development will ultimately help industrialize AEP technology even more,” Royal Caribbean Cruises President and COO Adam Goldstein said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean Begins Oasis-Class Vessel Construction

Royal Caribbean International cut the first piece of steel for its third Oasis-class ship on Sept. 23, marking the first construction milestone for a vessel that, at about 227,700 gross register tonnage, is expected be the world’s largest cruise ship.

A ceremony marking the event was held at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the ship will be built. Royal Caribbean Cruises Chair and Chief Executive Officer Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Adam Goldstein and STX France CEO Laurent Castaing were among those in attendance.

“We have built 12 ships for Royal Caribbean and are extremely proud of the strength of our relationship,” Castaing said. “Oasis 3 is one of the biggest challenges ever undertaken in the history of our company and our teams are excited and ready to make this a successful project.”

The new vessel will join sister-ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, which were introduced in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The two ships have 225,282 GRT and 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, as well as 82-foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, elevating bars, high-diving performance venues and a “Central Park” with more than 12,000 live trees and plants. “The Oasis-class ships have fundamentally changed the cruising landscape,” Fain said. “We are delighted to be offering a third Oasis-class vessel for our guests as well as to be back at STX France after such a long tradition of building amazing ships together.”

The new ship is expected to be delivered in mid-2016. Royal Caribbean has said more details of the vessel will be revealed in the coming months.

Port of Seattle Presents Environmental Awards

For the second straight year, the Port of Seattle has presented Green Gateway Partners Awards to recognize the environmental achievements of its cruise and containership tenants.

The awards, which were announced Feb. 17, are based on a scoring system. Depending on the number of points earned, port tenants can achieve one of three recognition levels – gold, silver or bronze.

Eligibility for the awards begins with participation in the port’s At-Berth Clean Fuels program, or use of shore power as a minimum requirement. These and other environmental activities then assigned point values. The awards and scoring system are maintained by a third party.

This year’s gold award winners were APL Ltd., Royal Caribbean International, Hapag-Lloyd, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Line and Maersk Line. All received high marks in such categories as innovative vessel design, environment protection programs and environmental pilot/test programs.

Receiving silver awards were Matson Navigation and Holland America Line. COSCO Container Lines was the sole bronze award recipient.

“These maritime operators demonstrate by their actions every day that you can be good environmental stewards while contributing to our economy,” Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani said.

The name of the awards – Green Gateway Partners – is a nod to the port’s branding of itself as the Green Gateway for maritime trade between Asia and the central US.

A 2009 study showed that for cargo originating in much of Asia and bound for a range of destinations across the United States, routes through Seattle resulted in lower carbon emissions than other routes.