Explora and Fincantieri Celebrate Explora III’s Delivery

Explora and Fincantieri Celebrate Explora III’s Delivery

The delivery ceremony of the Explora III, the third vessel built by Fincantieri for Explora Journeys, took place today in Genoa at the Fincantieri shipyard in Sestri Ponente.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s Cruise Division, said: “The delivery of the Explora III marks another important milestone in realizing our vision for Explora Journeys.”

“In just three years, we have defined a new and distinctive perspective in ocean travel. With each new ship, we expand our ability to offer guests new perspectives on the world through increasingly immersive experiences in the destinations we visit,” added Vago.

“The Explora III reflects our commitment to innovation, craftsmanship excellence and responsible growth, while contributing to the broader economic benefits that cruise tourism brings to coastal destinations and communities.”

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and general manager of Fincantieri, said: “The Explora III testifies to Fincantieri’s ability to lead the transformation of the shipbuilding industry through innovation, sustainability and the evolution towards new technologies and alternative fuels.”

“The entry into the fleet of the first ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) marks a significant milestone in this journey, an expression of the development of increasingly sustainable and technologically advanced solutions,” added Folgiero.

Fincantieri said in a press release that the newbuild was celebrated with numerous authorities and institutions in attendance, including:

• President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci
• Mayor of Genoa, Silvia Salis
• Admiral Inspector Antonio Ranieri, and
• President of the Port System Authority of the Western Ligurian Sea, Matteo Paroli.

 

The Explora III is the third out of six ships; the remaining three are all under construction and will take to the sea within two years: the Explora IV and Explora V in 2027, and Explora VI in 2028.

Guests were welcomed by:

• Biagio Mazzotta, president of Fincantieri
• Pierroberto Folgiero, chief executive officer and general manager of Fincantieri;
• Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division
• Massimo Canesin, director of the Fincantieri Shipyard in Sestri
• Diego Aponte, chairman of the MSC Group
• Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the Cruise Division of the MSC Group
• Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys
• Maya Aponte, godmother of the ship, and
• other managers of Fincantieri and MSC.

 

The Explora III will use liquefied natural gas (LNG), reducing emissions of sulfur oxides by 99 percent, nitrogen oxides by 85 percent, particulate matter by 98 percent and greenhouse gases by up to 20 percent.

It is designed to run on renewable and latest-generation fuels such as bio-LNG, synthetic LNG and biofuels. The Explora V and Explora VI will also adopt fuel cells.

Designed and built under RINA class surveillance, the Explora III has been acknowledged for its environmentally sustainable and passenger-comfort design, and was certified to sail in the polar regions.

Everllence and Plastic Fischer Fight Against Plastic Waste

Everllence and Plastic Fischer Fight Against Plastic Waste

Everllence has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with social enterprise Plastic Fischer, which will see the clearing of rivers near Everllence locations in India of plastic waste.

Plastic Fischer is a Cologne-based startup that combats ocean plastic pollution while creating jobs in emerging countries. As part of the partnership, regular joint-collection campaigns with employees will take place at Everllence locations in India.

Everllence said in a press release that the partnership will enable Plastic Fischer to collect and recycle between 450 and 500 tons of plastic over the next three years.

A total of seven floating barriers will be installed in Vadodara and Bangalore to capture plastic from the river. The startup will also use the funding to open two material-recovery facilities to sort and recycle the collected materials.

In the first year, these measures are expected to create 20 local jobs.

Uwe Lauber, CEO of Everllence, said: “Protecting oceans and waterways is especially important to us. Plastic Fischer has been carrying out impressive work in this field for many years, and we are proud and happy to support their mission.”

Karsten Hirsch, CEO and founder of Plastic Fischer, said: “We are very pleased to take our next big step with Everllence and expand into two new locations at once.”

“This long-term support will help us build infrastructure and drive sustainable change on-site. We are proud to have earned Everllence’s trust to build a flagship project with a strong local impact together,” Hirsch added.

Michael Melzer, head of experience communications and responsible for donations and sponsorships at Everllence, said: “What convinced us about Plastic Fischer, in addition to our shared commitment to protecting waterways, was its local approach.”

“Together, not only can we fight plastic waste, but we can also make a contribution to local economic development around our Indian sites. Furthermore, our employees in Bangalore and Vadodara can volunteer in the cleanups; it’s a great cooperation,” added Melzer.

Plastic Fischer uses barriers called TrashBooms to capture plastic directly in rivers.

Non-recyclable waste is processed in cement plants, serving as a more environmentally friendly alternative to landfill or incineration, as it produces no residues like ash and simultaneously replaces fossil fuels.

Hurtigruten Receives Best ESG Ranking of a Cruise Company

Hurtigruten Receives Best ESG Ranking of a Cruise Company

Hurtigruten Group has received an industry-leading ESG Risk Rating of 19.7 (Low) following an assessment by Morningstar Sustainalytics, an ESG research, ratings and data firm, according to a statement.

With ratings categorized across five risk levels, Hurtigruten Group is the only cruise company to be awarded a Low ESG Risk Rating and ranks fourth (out of 127 companies) in the “Travel, Lodging and Amusement” subindustry category.

“This rating is a result of our company-wide focus on emissions, nature, community and people,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten Group. “We have made significant strides over the past year, investing 66 million euros in emissions reduction. Our pioneering Green Bond, issued in 2022, has enabled us to finance ongoing environmental upgrades, including converting our fifth battery hybrid-powered ship. Simultaneously, we strengthened governance with executive compensation linked to ESG targets, a new whistleblower policy and improved supply chain control, emphasizing local procurement.”

In its latest ESG rating report, Morningstar Sustainalytics stated: “The company [Hurtigruten Group] is at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors, due to its medium exposure and strong management of material ESG issues. The company is not publicly held, which reduces its corporate governance risk compared to its peers. Although the company has a moderate level of controversies, its favourable risk assessment is primarily due to its above-average policies and programmes.”

“This rating is a quantitative method to assess our ESG efforts and a valuable tool to scrutinize how we execute on our ESG strategy through programmes and policies across the entire business,” explained Skjeldam. Hurtigruten Group – consisting of Hurtigruten Norway, Hurtigruten Expeditions, and Hurtigruten Svalbard – seeks to change the industry’s approach to sustainability. Hurtigruten Group was the first cruise line to ban heavy fuel oil (2009) and single-use plastics (2018). In 2019, Hurtigruten Expeditions added the world’s first battery hybrid-powered cruise ship and has since added two.

In 2022, Hurtigruten Norway converted its first battery hybrid-powered ship, with one more joining the fleet in 2023 and a third planned for 2024. The conversions are part of a 100-million-euro green upgrade that will reduce CO2 and NOx emissions by 25% and 80%, concurrently. Moreover, this June, Hurtigruten Norway’s first-of-kind Sea Zero initiative revealed early concept plans for the world’s most energy-efficient cruise ship.

“In addition, our Svalbard operations have made considerable progress in reducing their impact, deploying two electric tour boats and eight electric snowmobiles. We are working towards becoming cleaner, greener, and quieter,” added Skjeldam.

Royal Caribbean Announces Strategic Agreement with Meyer Turku, Finnish Government

Royal Caribbean Announces Strategic Agreement with Meyer Turku, Finnish Government

Royal Caribbean Group announced it has signed a maritime declaration with the Finnish government, represented by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) and Meyer Turku Oy, to chart the way forward for innovative and sustainable shipbuilding in Finland.

According to a press release, the commitment is set to advance innovation, strengthen competitiveness and bolster the maritime industry’s ecosystem.

“Our partners in Finland have helped us deliver some of the world’s most impressive and sustainable ships of their time, including our newest ship debuting in January 2024, Icon of the Seas,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “This new partnership sets the stage for future innovations and allows us and the maritime industry to continue pursuing sustainability at the highest level.”

The declaration announces the following actions:

• Preparing a roadmap for the production of climate-neutral ships in Finland. The roadmap is part of the maritime industry’s green transition.
• Strengthening the innovation of Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean Group and the maritime industry.
• Supporting networking to curb economic challenges, develop new solutions and secure the long-term viability of the maritime industry.
• Assembling a digital demonstration of a climate-neutral ship as part of the sustainable maritime industry development program of the Ministry of Labor and Economy.
• Piloting and testing new innovations and technologies on Royal Caribbean Group ships.

 

This partnership also advances Royal Caribbean Group’s Destination Net Zero strategy to decarbonize its operations by 2050 and it is near- and medium-term targets, including reducing carbon intensity by double digits by 2025 compared to 2019 and the introduction of a net-zero cruise ship by 2035.

The declaration comes on the heels of another major milestone for Royal Caribbean. On Friday, Dec. 9, the revolutionary, new vacation, Icon of the Seas, reached its next phase of construction ahead of its iconic January 2024 debut. The new ship floated on water for the first time since the assembly began nine months ago at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. The icon will join the company’s Royal Caribbean International cruise line and its lineup of industry-leading ships, becoming the brand’s most sustainable ship to date and the crown jewel of shipbuilding in the Finnish maritime industry.

“The Finnish maritime ecosystem is built on the innovativeness, expertise and skills of the thousands of leading shipbuilders at Meyer Turku, and Icon of the Seas is the latest example of what can be built here in Finland,” said Mika Lintilä, Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. “This new declaration will secure a future in which the maritime industry continues to make strides in our decarbonization goals and economic growth priorities for years to come.”

The company also has agreements with the shipyard to build the unnamed second and third ships in the Icon Class for its Royal Caribbean International brand, and Mein Schiff 7, which is currently under construction for the company’s TUI Cruises brand.

“While expertise and interdisciplinary collaboration will always be key to the success of shipbuilding, we recognize the need to continuously evolve and create strategies to reduce carbon emissions toward net zero,” said Tim Meyer, CEO, of Meyer Turku Oy. “This commitment will set us up, as an industry, to innovate and adapt in how we design, build and operate ships. This challenge presents significant opportunities for the Finnish maritime industry to take the lead globally and bring to market new technologies and products.”

Carnival Corporation: More Efficient and Sustainable

“Our number one goal is reducing our emissions,” said Bill Burke, a chief maritime officer at Carnival Corporation.

That goal is a 40 per cent reduction in the company’s carbon emissions by 2030 when compared to a 2008 baseline, with carbon levels peaking for Carnival in 2011.

It’s a combination of efficiency and sustainability, Burke said.

That involves not only new efficient ships but finding more efficient equipment for the company’s existing fleet, making sure ships are operated well, meaning the right speeds, with the right engine loads.

“Voyage planning is another area where we are focused,” Burke said. “That sort of thing is ‘free,’ if we can get it right, it’s free savings.”

Burke has his sights set on HVAC system improvements as a key area where the company can save money on fuel and cut carbon emissions.

“The efficiency of the equipment has increased in the last few decades. If we haven’t already, we change out chillers and HVAC equipment,” he said.

One megawatt of savings translates roughly to about $1 million annually in fuel, Burke said.

"It’s then the money we can use for other things … it’s seed money to make ships more efficient.”

New Ships Get Efficient

New ships are generally 20 per cent more efficient per passenger than the last class, and that starts with the hull design, Burke said.

Then it’s a process of looking for the best and most efficient equipment fleetwide, with Carnival Corporate Shipbuilding in the UK focused on the job.

With the new deliveries of the AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda, Carnival Mardi Gras and P&O Iona, Carnival sister brands now have four technically identical new ships on the Carnival XL platform. Expect a lot of note comparing.

“We will compare performance, but a lot of that comes down to the itinerary,” Burke said, noting variables such as the speeds the ships travel at plus climate conditions driving air conditioning use.

Trying to compare performance, the company uses climate zones to normalize energy use when reviewing data.

That data becomes easier to use with ships in port, without a propulsion load, with Carnival now asking its brands to operate on just one generator while in port.

“The brands will make adjustments and we will help them with targeted investments to reduce the hotel load to allow them to first operate on one generator (in port) and then get the load lower. We’ve dropped the electrical load down by several megawatts.”

Ships are compared against each other with adjustments for size and climate conditions, with Carnival using its own port power coefficient to measure power usage by ship while docked.

2030 Goal

By 2030 Burke envisions what he called a green fleet with nearly 20 per cent of Carnival Corporation ships powered by LNG.

"Both LNG and non-LNG ships would get some portion of their fuel from biofuels. Batteries would be on a number of ships for peak shaving and non-LNG ships would operate advanced air quality systems (scrubbers),” Burke said.

Those ships running scrubbers would have wash-water filtration and significantly reduced particulate.

“All ships would have achieved our port power coefficient goals and easily operate in port in all climate conditions on a single diesel generator, indicating efficient port hotel service operations.”

Another project is a single fleet-wide maintenance and procurement system.

“That will allow us to better leverage our scale and remove excess inventory.”

Burke also plans to add more courses to the company’s Arison Maritime Center (CSMART) in the Netherlands.

"In addition to operational team training for our officer core, we do have energy efficiency training and we will expand that.”

Many ships, continued Burke, will have air lubrication systems, adding that around 60 per cent of the fleet will be able to plug into shore power by 2030. Another three-quarter of the fleet will have advanced wastewater purification systems, and all ships will have food waste digesters.

“Our ships will be completely instrumented for measuring the efficiency of our largest power consumptions ... you have to be able to measure (consumers) to know how you’re doing.”

Data will result in self-correcting behaviour that will improve operational efficiency, according to Burke, who said the ships will continue to get more sensors and measuring capability.

“We will be well on our way to designing and building our first zero emissions and zero discharge ship … that’s the biggest challenge and we hope our work with LNG will have us well prepared for that next fuel.”