Carnival Corporation looks to cut fuel consumption by up to 10%

Carnival Corporation has announced the rollout of comprehensive technology upgrades called Service Power Packages across its fleet to further improve energy savings and reduce fuel consumption.

The upgrades include ongoing installations through 2023 on ships from the company’s nine cruise line brands (Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard).

Carnival Corporation says its Service Power upgrade program delivers an average of 5-10% fuel savings per ship and is expected to reduce fleetwide greenhouse gas emissions by more than 500,000 metric tons annually.

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In addition to the environmental benefits, the program is also expected to generate over $150 million in annual fuel cost savings once complete.

The Service Power program has been under development for the past six years and delivers significant efficiency upgrades across the fleet, including air conditioning upgrades to cabin and public areas, and major enhancements to cooling, lighting and automation systems.

The Service Power Package has been custom designed for each ship to account for variations in ship design, size and equipment, which combines the synergies from multiple upgrades with new operational efficiencies.

The project forms part of Carnival Corporation’s wider energy savings and decarbonisation strategies, which includes the introduction of biofuels, and the use of LNG in all of its newbuild vessels.

The Service Power Packages work together to reduce each ship’s overall service load – the energy required to support all onboard hotel systems – and as a result, significantly reduce both fuel usage and emissions.

The package includes:

Comprehensive upgrades to each ship’s hotel HVAC systems, accounting for 25% of a ship’s energy consumption, to improve hotel ventilation efficiency using sophisticated variable speed drives and on-demand systems throughout public areas, cabins and galleys.

Technical systems upgrades on each ship using variable speed drives and on-demand automated control systems for engine room ventilation, main air conditioning chillers and cooling pumps, which dramatically lowers the energy needed to deliver cooling around the ship.

State-of-the-art LED lighting systems installed throughout each ship to reduce both power consumption and heat load generation – creating a dual benefit from lower air conditioning demand.

Remote monitoring and maintenance improvements that maximize benefits from the upgrade packages, including improved instrumentation and automated management systems, with nonstop ship-to-shore connectivity. Expanded remote monitoring and analysis of each ship’s energy performance and technical status ensure peak efficiency and minimal down times.

Carnival Corporation says the fleetwide enhancements are part of its ongoing energy efficiency investment program and efforts to reduce fuel consumption, including over $350 million invested in energy efficiency improvements since 2016, along with the company’s fleet optimisation strategy and design of more efficient itineraries.

These ongoing efforts are expected to drive a 10% reduction in fuel consumption per available lower berth day (ALBD) in the company’s first full year of guest cruise operations compared to 2019, along with a 9% reduction in carbon emissions per lower berth distance travelled.

Carnival Corporation has committed to significant investments to achieve its 2030 sustainability goals and 2050 aspirations, which incorporate six critical sustainability focus areas overall. These areas include climate action; circular economy; sustainable tourism; good health and well-being; diversity, equity and inclusion; and biodiversity and conservation.

Among these priorities, the company has committed to reducing carbon emission intensity by 20% from its 2019 baseline by 2030, supporting its efforts and aspirations to achieve net carbon-neutral ship operations by 2050.