Royal Caribbean Group has started using renewable diesel fuel to cut carbon emissions in a trial on one ship.
The renewable fuel being used by Navigator of the Seas sailing from Los Angeles contains less carbon than traditional marine fuels.
While this fuel is produced from renewable raw materials, the production process makes it molecularly identical to traditional marine gas oil — creating a “drop in” fuel that can be safely used with the ship’s existing engines, according to the company.
The group plans to continue using lower carbon fuel to meet part of the ship’s fuel needs as it evaluates the feasibility for long-term use, with ambitions to expand its usage to other ships across the fleet.
This follows a similar trial by German joint venture partner, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which is exploring a different process for developing a sustainable biofuel.
The group plans to introduce its first hybrid-powered ship in summer 2023 as part of Silversea Cruises’ newest Nova class of ships.
The use of renewable fuel is seen as a key step in the pursuit of alternative fuels and comes less than a year after the unveiling of a ‘Destination Net Zero’ decarbonisation strategy.
Shared services executive vice president Laura Hodges Bethge said: “We are committed to investing in technologies and innovations that will help us reduce emissions and fulfill our purpose to deliver great vacations responsibly.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we continue to set our sights on other leading alternative solutions to meet our net zero goals.”