By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation & plc estimates that it will have saved more than one billion gallons of fuel and reduced fleet carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms over the past seven years by the end of 2014.
These reductions have been achieved through the company’s multi-year Fleet Fuel Conservation Program, which has improved the nine-brand fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 24% compared to 2007, saving around US$2.5 billion in fuel costs. Driven largely by its energy and fuel conservation efforts, Carnival is now in a position to exceed its goal of a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2015.
Established in 2007, Carnival’s programme has combined energy-saving initiatives onboard current ships with new energy-efficient ship designs to reduce energy consumption and boost fuel efficiency across its fleet of more than 100 ships.
Since 2007, the company has worked to increase awareness among officers, crew and guests; replaced four million traditional lights with LED bulbs; fitted energy-efficient HVAC systems; and improved propulsion technologies to optimise ship speeds to design more fuel-efficient itineraries. The company has also used new hull coatings and cleaning technologies to minimise the growth of marine organisms that create drag on the hull. In addition, the company has reduced the rate of water use by using engine heat to convert sea water to fresh water and installing reverse osmosis systems.
Carnival has also driven significant improvements in fleet fuel efficiency by adding more than 30 newbuilds with energy-saving innovations – such as computer-modelled hull designs and fuel-efficient propeller and engine combinations – since 2007.
“We have made great strides in working together to reduce energy and fuel consumption across our fleet, which is a top priority for us as a company,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We are very proud of our conservation efforts, but we also realise that doing our part to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the environment is a job that is never complete. We’re committed to building on the momentum of our sustainability initiatives because it is the right thing to do for the environment and our fellow citizens, the passengers and crew on our ships, the communities we visit, and also for our business.”
In future, the company aims to improve engine room cooling equipment, audio and entertainment systems, galley/cooking appliances and laundry services. It will also expand the 20% of ships equipped for ‘cold ironing’ as more ports offer the ability to connect to shore electrical power, as well as its ability to use alternative fuels.
Earlier this year, Carnival revealed it would invest US$400 million to design, build and install an industry-first exhaust gas cleaning technology, called ECO-EGC, to more than 70% of its fleet. It also pledged to donate US$2.5 million to The Nature Conservancy to support its global marine protection effort.