Royal Caribbean Group is gearing up to open what it touts as the world’s first “zero-energy” cruise terminal.
The $125m facility in Galveston, Texas, will be the first cruise terminal to generate all of its needed energy on site, using solar panels when it opens on 9 November.
The New York-listed, Miami-based cruise giant, which will use the terminal for its flagship Royal Caribbean International brand, is building the 15,000-square-metre facility to the standards of the US Green Building Council’s LEED Zero Energy programme.
To score the certification, a building must have a “source energy use balance of zero”, meaning onsite renewable energy production displaces non-renewables.
The Galveston terminal will be Royal Caribbean’s fourth LEED-approved facility and first to achieve gold-level certification, which is expected in the first half of next year.
Chief executive Jason Liberty said the company is focused on innovating on sustainability across all aspects of its operations.
“We deeply value both the oceans we sail and the communities we visit and operate in, and the modern design and development features at our terminal in Galveston will work in service of both,” he said.
The company said it used design strategies in line with its sustainability goals and decarbonisation strategy, which aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Self-sufficient
The terminal will have nearly 2,800 square metres of photovoltaic solar panels, allowing for self-sufficient energy usage. Excess energy will be sent to the local grid. The company also plans to purchase carbon credits to offset emissions.
Materials and construction of the facility were designed to reduce the “heat island” effect in Galveston, which experiences higher temperatures than outlying areas. And it prioritised materials with a lower carbon footprint.
The terminal will have bicycle facilities, and Royal Caribbean plans to add eight electric vehicle charging stations.
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