By
Susan Parker |
This article first appeared in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. To read the full article, you can subscribe to the magazine in printed or digital formats
These days there is one thing that stands out as driving development and that is the need to reduce ships’ environmental impact as new emissions limits begin to bite. Fuel is a major focus, whether marine gas oil (MGO), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied biogas (LBG). Some operators are investing in systems that clean their exhaust emissions, while others favour options such as optimised hull designs.
The entry into force of the 0.1% sulphur limit on fuel burned in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) on 1 January has been a big driver. Rich Pruitt, VP Safety & Environmental Stewardship at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL), says: “To me, the biggest impact is around sulphur regulations, how we mitigate the cost and operate in ECAs without resorting to burning gas oil. Also ships with keels laid after January 2016 have to comply with Tier III (IMO NOx standards). Then we are looking at selective catalytic reduction (SCR) which means bunkering another type of reactant which removes NOx out of the exhaust gas.”
In December, RCCL announced it would be retrofitting 19 of its ships with advanced emissions purification (AEP) systems (scrubbers), the development of which it has been working on since 2010. Each installation will take about eight months with the impact on operations being far-reaching where the relevant approvals are concerned, as Pruitt explains.
“We are working with US and European governments and flag states. The ships have to work with putting them on and incorporating them into onboard procedures and special training,” he says. With a lot of work being done while sailing, cabins for 20 to 30 workers have to be taken out of guest service. This means communicating with guests and getting hotel and guest services to understand what is taking place while work is carried out in service. For crew, it means “dealing with upset to maintenance schedules and routines with extra people in the engine room” at the same time as “trying to make the ship go through the water and keep the lights on”.
Issues to be overcome range from hot work to bunkering – for example, caustic soda to balance the pH level in the cooling water – and even immigration, whereby time can be lost getting people on and off the ship. In a massive understatement, Pruitt says: “There is more to this than a guy in there with a welding rod.”
Royal Caribbean has been working hard on keeping costs down, which means considering everything from risk management processes to improved cost containment. Companies such as Porsche and DNV GL have been consulted. “It is a big project and very complex,” says Pruitt, “but we are pretty confident and comfortable that we can still get the work done and deliver.”
At AIDA Cruises, advances in LNG are a strong focus. Former SVP Marine Operations Jens Lassen, now chief of the new Carnival Maritime, Costa Group centre in Hamburg, says: “Considering that we build cruise ships for operational lifespans of between 20 and 30 years, I consider the development of LNG fuel technology to be extremely exciting. This development, coupled with the development of heat recovery and heat management technology, envisages efficient use of gas turbines in cruise ships. This allows for increased passenger space, fuel-efficient operation and greatly reduced machinery maintenance onboard. Modern gas turbines can run an estimated 90,000 hours without significant overhaul on LNG fuel.”
Deltamarin is one of the organisations getting involved in projects along these lines. Paivi Haikkola, head of research and development for the Finnish company, says: “As ship designers we only get second-hand information from the shipowners as to what impacts the service of the vessels. However, we believe that the various ‘new’ fuels taken into more extensive use, as well as new propulsion methods, will mean significant changes to passenger vessel operations.
“As always, the safety of the passengers will be a focus when using the technologies. That might still lead to new innovations that are currently still on the drawing boards, which will improve the safety and maybe even the energy efficiency of the operations.”
The increasingly extensive itineraries being sailed will also have an impact, she believes: “As the locations become more varied, we see that there will be new options for safer and more environmentally friendly travel in the Arctic regions with the newbuilds that will be built in the near future to accommodate the IMO Polar Code.”