Ulstein Design & Solutions is proposing a cruise concept which it says is prepared for a stepwise transition towards zero-emission operations.
Although the cruise industry is not considered a large contributor to global GHG emissions, with less than 0.1% of the overall total, the cruise industry has a commitment to reduce emissions and become more sustainable.
As cruise vessels explore protected and vulnerable areas around the world, and the cruising companies and their clients do not wish to harm the environment they are exploring, low emission solutions and minimal noise and vibrations are requested. In parallel, regulators have – with the IMO CII – drafted a pathway that vessel operators need to comply with, and which will set increasingly stringent energy efficiency requirements.
Ulstein believes that analysis of the different operations that are carried out, and how they impact the energy consumption of the vessel, is key. This enables the identification and assessment of how to reduce energy consumption, how to produce the energy and, finally, how to utilise the waste energy. Such measures have been implemented in the Ulstein CX129 cruise vessel design, including optimised hull lines with the X-Bow, LED lighting, heat pump technology and a waste energy system. Other measures can be added later as desired.
The selection of alternative, low emission fuels is not easy and should be looked at through case-by-case studies. Fuel availability in vulnerable areas is scarce, and to date, alternative fuels are non-existent. Thus, although technology might soon be available, there is still a way to go, particularly in remote areas without the necessary infrastructure for future alternative fuels.
Ulstein is committed to enabling sustainable cruise operations. By implementing technology as it becomes available, the company says it can prepare today’s vessels for future expectations and requirements. This has triggered Ulstein to explore innovative solutions and to propose a stepwise implementation of technology for reaching zero-emission cruise operations.
To fully investigate how cruise vessels can become more sustainable, the design team carried out a thorough analysis of typical cruise operations. The analysis provided useful insights into how alternative fuel technologies can be combined.
The Ulstein CX129 has been developed to operate on dual fuel methanol/MGO engines. This technology is already available in the market. If desirable, MGO can already be replaced with HVO, a renewable biofuel produced from waste and residues from sources such as the food industry. This fuel has a cleaner combustion and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
Methanol is an available energy source with an advantageous energy density and storage availability, and green methanol results in very low emissions. The power plant is supported by a large battery package enabling periods of zero-emission operations in vulnerable areas that also supports optimization of the power plant by enabling peak-shaving. Methanol-fuelled, the vessel will meet expectations of emission reduction from day one. The next step might be to install fuel cells for methanol, and space will be reserved for this upgrade. This will decrease emissions further and allow silent operation of the vessel.
The design has the flexibility for a later upgrade to hydrogen, preparing the cruise operators for a zero-emission future. An upgrade to carry Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) as fuel is possible, in addition to space reserved for hydrogen containers, and hydrogen fuel cells can be installed.
Lars Ståle Skoge, commercial director, Ulstein Design & Solutions. said: “With a battery capacity of 4MWh, a total fuel range of 11,000 nautical miles on MGO/HVO, 3,800 nautical miles on Methanol and with the option of a future upgrade to 1,200 nautical miles of Hydrogen range, a typical cruise operation can be decarbonised dramatically.”
