When Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Cruises introduces the fifth ship in its Edge Series, it will be methanol capable — equipped with a new engine model, along with storage and delivery systems, that will give it the flexibility to use three types of fuel, including methanol.
The move, which is part of a growing cruise industry interest in methanol fueling, involves the collaborative efforts of Royal Caribbean Group, Wärtsilä and shipbuilder Chantiers de L’Atlantique (CdA) to advance the use of alternative fuels for the cruise industry.
“As we innovate our ship design and offerings, we’re also focused on equally evolving the fuel and technology landscape that powers them,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “By incorporating tri-fueled engines, we are ensuring that as alternative, low-carbon-based solutions become more viable, our ships will be ready to adapt and drive the industry forward to a more sustainable and net zero emissions future.”
“With the launch of our Edge Series of ships in 2018, we set ambitious sustainability goals to make these ships the most energy efficient large vessels at sea,” said Celebrity Cruises president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “Working collaboratively with our partners, we have continued to develop new technologies and achieve breakthroughs with each subsequent ship.”
To allow for the ship’s fuel flexibility, Wärtsilä will deliver two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines converted to allow them to utilize three fuel sources, including methanol. These changes not only advance carbon-free cruising, but by adding methanol as a fuel option, local emission like sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter are significantly reduced.
“Wärtsilä has invested heavily into researching viable future carbon-neutral fuels for the marine industry, and methanol has emerged as one of the most promising candidates. This will be the second methanol-fueled engine conversion that we have undertaken, and the first with the Wärtsilä 46F engine. We share the commitment to decarbonize shipping, and the transparent partnership between our three companies for this newbuild project is a tremendous boost for achieving this aim,” says Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä.
“Development and integration of methanol systems on a cruise ship is a new challenge for Chantiers de l’Atlantique and, for the first time, is part of our decarbonization program,” said Laurent Castaing, general manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard.
The order for the engines was included in Wärtsilä’s order book in January 2023 and the full scope includes two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines capable of operating with methanol as fuel, two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines, and one Wärtsilä 32 engine. Wärtsilä will convert the 46F engines to run on methanol at the shipyard, prior to commissioning.
