30 June 2008

Cruise lines identify 140 energy saving measures

Lines that make up the worldÃ¢â¬â¢s largest cruise group, Carnival Corporation, have identified 140 different ways of saving fuel.

Faced with skyrocketing oil prices, brands within the corporation are considering a range of initiatives from cutting the speed of cruise ships to using special paint to help vessels travel through the water more efficiently.

Senior executives from Holland America Line outlined a number of the possible energy-saving options while showcasing new ship Eurodam to the UK trade in Southampton.

These include harnessing waste heat, developing new software to automatically adjust the trim of ships to ensure they operate most effectively, reducing speed through better itinerary planning to improve fuel consumption and even turning off lights.

The measures emerged a week after Carnival Corporation reported that higher fuel prices cost the company $158 million in the three months to May 31.

The conglomerate, which operates a total of 87 ships across brands such as P&O Cruises, Cunard Line and Costa, predicted that its fuel expenses would rise by $752 million this year over 2007.

Dan Grausz, Holland America Line's senior vice-president of fleet operations, said energy efficiency efforts had to be made as most cruise ships were designed when fuel was cheap.

Bringing down the speed of ships by even a few knots can reap benefits in improved fuel consumption, he said.

*See linked HAL story.

by Phil Davies