Royal Caribbean Cruises Reduces Fuel Consumption by 4%

September 29, 2009

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has made environmental improvements over the past year. The company has reduced fuel consumption by 4 percent, NOx emissions by three percent, refrigerant loss by 33 percent and onboard water consumption by six percent, according to the company’s 2008 Stewardship Report. The company also has cut its solid waste generation by 32 percent.

Here are several environmental highlights from the report.

Continuing to improve efficiencies onboard its ships, Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Solstice is the first cruise ship equipped with solar panels, a “green roof” and a dedicated environmental education venue, and its newest ship, Oasis of the Seas, showcases the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.

As an example, the ship sports a new hull design that includes environmentally safe coatings to improve performance, thus reducing energy use and air emissions. Royal Caribbean estimates that these smoother hull coatings could save as much as five percent of its fuel usage for propulsion.

Other efficiencies include smokeless gas-turbine engines, and solar window films to keep the ships cooler, which reduces fuel consumption and associated emissions.

In 2008, Royal Caribbean’s ships consumed approximately 10,000 metric tons less fuel, which was nearly 4 percent less per available passenger cruise day (APCD) than what was used in 2007, according to the report. The company’s goal is to save an additional 2 percent per APCD in 2009, setting more aggressive targets as it develops new technologies.

The company is also replacing onboard halogen and incandescent light bulbs with LED and compact fluorescent lights to reduce heat production and energy consumption. The replacements have resulted in the use of up to 80 percent less energy, a 50 percent reduction in heat generation, and less maintenance. In addition, the new lighting can be recycled or returned to the vendor to be rebuilt.

In 2008, Royal Caribbean’s nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions totaled 79,305 metric tons, which equals 0.0029 metric tons per APCD. This represented an approximately 3 percent reduction over 2007. Sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions totaled 0.0017 metric tons per APCD, and particulate matter emissions totaled 0.0002 metric tons per APCD.

The company also reduced its refrigerant loss — which can have environmental impacts on ozone depletion and greenhouse gases — on its Royal Caribbean International ships by approximately 33 percent from 2007 levels.

In 2008, Royal Caribbean’s 2008 greenhouse gas footprint — including CO2 emissions and total refrigerant losses — was 0.14466 metric tons of CO2 per APCD. Total CO2 emissions in 2008 were 3,679,578 metric tons, or 0.13904 metric tons per APCD. The company’s goal is to reduce its overall greenhouse gas footprint by one-third per APCD by 2015, as compared to 2008 levels.

The company is also implementing water-saving technologies and procedures including reduced-flow dishwashers, low-flow shower heads and sink taps, and low-consumption laundry equipment. These measures reduced the total water consumed onboard from all sources per APCD by 6 percent from 2007 levels.

In 2008, the company recycled and reused more than 12 million pounds of solid waste materials. The company is working with its suppliers to green its supply chain, reduce packaging materials and use more sustainable resources.

In 2008, the amount of waste landed ashore was reduced to 1.5 pounds per APCD, representing a 32 percent reduction in solid waste. The company recycles approximately 25 percent of all waste in U.S. ports. The company’s goal is to decrease waste incinerated and/or moved to landfills by 50 percent by 2015 and to recycle 50 percent of all its waste landed ashore.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Enhance Sustainability. Improve Profitability.

Learn how at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Best Practices: Product Environmental Compliance

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Reader Comments

Interesting use of vernacular “sink taps” don’t hear that much. Any idea of what level of low flow faucet aerators they used?

Faucet Aerator Guy | October 10th, 2009

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader