Cruise industry bid for sustainability

The sector’s advance in energy efficiency performance is indicated by data gathered under the EU’s Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) regulation.

Information on 206 vessels belonging to members of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents some 95% of global cruiseship passenger capacity, was submitted in 2023, up from reports for 179 ships in 2019.

Overall CO₂ emissions amounted to just in excess of 7m tons, 2% more than the figure for 2019, for a 15% increase in vessels involved.

“This shows the improvement with regards to energy efficiency of the sector and the decorrelation of the growth in the number of ships and their emissions,” stated the CLIA. “This is confirmed by the average CO₂ emissions per ship reporting into MRV—which shows a reduction of 16% between 2019 and 2023.”

In the drive towards the 2050 net-zero goal, consistent with IMO’s 2023 strategy on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, technological progression reflected in newbuild investments, notably as to fuel-flexible powering arrangements, is accompanied by a range of initiatives implemented by cruise lines. These include increased provision for use of shore power at berth, and multiple trials and pilot programmes to test sustainable fuels and technical innovations.

A recent update from the Association noted that, in addition to four CLIA member-owned vessels already using renewable biofuel and four newbuilds expected to have such capability, 24 ships were engaged in biofuel trials and two in the evaluation of synthetic carbon fuel.

It is anticipated that seven cruise vessels under construction or on order will run on zero-carbon fuels, entailing ‘green’ methanol in the case of five ships, and ‘green’ hydrogen for the two others. 17 ships in operation are using LNG for primary propulsion, and 24 yet to be delivered are also designated to run on LNG in mainstream service.

More than 15% of cruise ships entering service in the next five years will be equipped with battery storage to allow for hybrid power generation.

Almost half the present CLIA member fleet is equipped to connect to shoreside electricity, and this proportion is set to top 70% by 2028. While championing the advancement of onshore power infrastructure as a critical component in the industry’s pursuit of net-zero objectives, CLIA stated that only 35 ports worldwide have at least one cruise berth fitted to allow power to be drawn from the landside grid, representing just 3% of ports used by cruise vessels.

Within Europe, only 15 ports offer the possibility for cruise ships to make such a connection. “We are calling on ports and authorities to prioritise the deployment of shoreside electricity at cruise berths to allow for the immediate reduction of emissions at berth,” counselled the CLIA.

In addition, the industry body has welcomed EU regulatory moves introducing targets for the use of renewable, sustainable fuels but has warned that current production is too limited in relation to the volumes that the sector will need to meet objectives for 2025.