Carnival Corp fleet to be 20% LNG-powered by 2025
James ChappleA fifth of cruise capacity operated by Carnival Corporation will be powered by ships fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2025, with the group claiming decarbonisation to be among its foremost considerations.
Carnival, which is parent to a number of ex-UK brands including P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess, set out its progress towards is 2030 and 2050 sustainability goals in its 13th annual sustainability reports, which comes with a majority of the Carnival Corp fleet now back in service post-pandemic.
The group said it was making "major strides" towards its 2030 goals and "setting the pace" industry-wide on pursuing carbon-neutral operations by 2050.
Carnival claims to be the only "major" cruise operator producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions now than it did in 2011; the group says it is on track to achieve a 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 versus 2008, and a 20% reduction by 2030 versus 2019.
In addition, the business says through fleet optimisation, energy and itinerary efficiencies, and the introduction of new technologies and fuels, it expects to achieve a 15% reduction in fuel burn per available lower berth this year, as well as a 15% reduction in emissions by the same measure relative to 2019.
Carnival currently has eight LNG-capable ships in operation, with another three on order; these will, by 2025, account for 20% of its total fleet capacity.
Other developments include piloting the largest-ever battery installation on a passenger ship onboard AIDAprima and testing new fuel cell technology powered by methanol-derived hydrogen on AIDAnova. AIDAprima and Holland America Line’s Volendam are also trialing biofuels as alternatives for fossil fuel-based propulsion.
Elsewhere, the group is upgrading its fleet to eco-friendly amenities such as LED lighting, which is expected to save 5% fuel consumption a year per ship, while 57% of Carnival’s global fleet is now able to utilise shore power in port, reducing emissions and noise.
Other key focuses include reducing food waste by 40% per person by 2025, introducing dehydrators to reduce waste volume by "upwards of 90%", continuing to reduce single-use plastics and re-evaluating supply chain partnerships.
Carnival added that in addition to its efforts in respect of its environmental performance, the group was committed to continuing its work to cultivate a workforce "mirroring the diversity of the 700 ports and destinations it visits worldwide".
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