Carnival Corporation has signed an agreement for three new cruise ships that will be powered using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.
The deal will lead to the construction of two Carnival Cruise Line ships at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, and one new vessel for P&O Cruises UK to be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. The three new ships are expected to be delivered between 2020 and 2022.
The two 180,000-tonne Carnival ships, which will be able to carry approximately 5,200 passengers, will become the world’s largest LNG-powered ships.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of introducing LNG-powered ships to the cruise industry, working with our partners to achieve shipbuilding breakthroughs like this that will help us produce the most efficient and sustainable ships we have ever built,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation.
“This is also an important step in our fleet enhancement plan that enables us to execute on our long-term strategy of measured capacity growth over time, while delivering innovative new ships that further elevate our already great guest experience.”
Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft, said the new ships would “provide breakthroughs in innovation and for the environment”.
In total, the company now has agreements in place for the construction of seven new LNG-powered cruise ships across four of its 10 cruise brands. The first of these ships are expected to enter service with AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises in 2019.
Being fully powered by LNG, the new vessels will be the most efficient ships in the company’s history. This gas, which is predominantly methane, will generate 100% of the ships’ power – both in port and at sea – significantly reducing exhaust emissions.
In total, Carnival expects to take delivery of 18 new ships between 2016 and 2022.
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