Methanol is the shipping company's bet, pursuing the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) assures that it is taking a step forward that will have a great impact on the transition.
The company intends to make immediate changes towards a decarbonized future, as the ships built and delivered today are expected to still be in service in 2050.
With Norwegian Cruise Line's new builds for 2027 and 2028 modified and reconfigured to be ready for methanol, Jessica John, vice president of investor relations for Norwegian Cruise Line, explained: “We have made significant investments to lengthen the last two ships in the Prima class, in addition to other changes to accommodate space for methanol-related machinery and equipment.”
“The modifications include piping, valves, bilge systems, fuel stations, and other components specific to methanol. While further modifications will be needed in the future to fully enable the use of methanol in these vessels, this represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.”
Furthermore, in 2022, Norwegian began assessing the feasibility of adapting existing engines to run on dual fuels such as diesel and methanol. They concluded that a conversion of mechanical, electrical, and automation equipment would be necessary, including the creation of methanol refueling stations and the conversion of existing tanks into methanol storage tanks. The fuel preparation area would also need to be redesigned, with changes to mechanical ventilation, piping, and electrical wiring, among other things.
However, the shipping company trusted in this option as a possibility, investing in it and finding a fuel that could be the solution on a large scale and in the long term.
Increased efficiency
Norwegian's ongoing investments in systems technologies and operational improvements have enabled the company to reduce the daily fuel consumption of its entire fleet. As further investments are made to increase efficiency across the existing fleet and new, more fuel-efficient vessels enter service, the rate and intensity of greenhouse gas emissions are expected to continue to decline.
According to Jessica John, one of the most successful programs implemented on ships to date has been waste heat recovery (WHR). Currently, more than half of the fleet is equipped with WHR, and plans call for the entire fleet to be equipped by 2027.
Air conditioning and heating are the systems that consume the most energy on ships, after propulsion, and require around 15% of the total electrical load.
Each vessel has an onboard energy efficiency management plan, whose main objective is to improve the overall operational efficiency of the vessel by applying optimized energy and fuel saving methods.
Reduction of consumption
“We continually seek out and invest in new technologies and innovations that allow us to improve our environmental performance, both for our existing ships and for the new ships we have on order,” said Jessica John.
One technology being implemented on the company's ships, both existing and under construction, is shore power capability. However, it is still limited, as not all ports yet offer shore power.
“We have begun shifting our itineraries towards longer, open-cage voyages. These itineraries not only reduce emissions but also increase guest satisfaction with longer stays in port.”
Other initiatives include itinerary and voyage planning. Some routes are much more efficient than others in terms of fuel consumption by optimizing itineraries, time at sea, and port selection.
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