Tom Strang, Carnival Corporation’s senior vice president maritime affairs, says the cruise giant’s commitment to LNG fuelling “future proofs” it in tackling key pollutants, including sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions.
He also describes as technology that works exhaust gas cleaning systems which Carnival has installed across much of its fleet.
Carnival has been in the vanguard of LNG fuelling with seven such newbuildings on order, the first of which will be delivered by Meyer Werft’s Papenburg yard in about one year.
“We are investing heavily in LNG technology going forward,” said Strang, while speaking at an Immediasea shipping debate in London on whether the cruise industry is putting sensitive environments at risk.
Said Strang: "Simply put, it (LNG) has the best emissions profile of any fossil fuel.”
It meets and exceeds “all the current requirements and any foreseeable requirements with relation to traditional pollutants”.
No silver bullet
He added:“We are not saying it is a silver bullet, we are not saying it is the solution to greenhouse gas emissions, but it gets us a long way with regard to our emissions profile reduction.
“It deals with those local pollutants which are a key component of criticism that we face as an industry.”
Speaking on a panel in London Strang said:“We have done a lot of analysis and have seen at least a 15% well-to-wake emissions reduction in carbon emissions, over 90% of particulate matter, there is almost zero sulphur emissions….and about 75% reduction in nitrogen oxides.
“And it is competitively priced because at the end of the day we are a business and it makes sense to do this.”
Hybrid beginnings
Strang outlined how Carnival’s strategy began with a hybrid power barge in Hamburg, its first opportunity to use LNG in port to reduce emissions. Today it has two ships operating which can use LNG in port.
“But the main thing for us is the seven newbuildings we have ordered within the Carnival group…These are fully LNG ships and will give us that immediate reduction in our emissions profile.”
He added: "We see a lot of people saying they don’t believe in exhaust gas cleaning systems but for us the truth is in the evidence.”
The cruiseship industry generally has faced criticism for not moving fast enough in mitigating pollution.
Carnival says it has already installed scrubbers to more than half its fleet of over 100 ships in a programme costing eventually $400m.
Strang said sustainability was core to Carnival’s business, including protecting the places its cruiseships visit.
“We are commited to being responsible citizens because without clean desinations and without protecting these destinations, we don’t have a product to sell in the future," he added.
