Celebrity Cruises has big engine plans for future ship

The fifth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Edge class will feature new propulsion technology that allows her engines to run on multiple fuels, including eco-friendly methanol, as the line moves towards a zero-carbon cruising future.

Luxury line Celebrity Cruises, a brand of Royal Caribbean Group, announced on March 28 that technology company Wärtsilä will develop a so-called flex-fuel engine for its next Edge-class ship, which is not yet under construction. The ship will be the first in the industry to use the hybrid engine.

Multi-fuel engine for the next Edge-class cruise ship

In partnership with Wärtsilä from Helsinki and shipyard Chantiers de L’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France, Celebrity Cruises will bring another innovation to its Edge-class ships when construction begins on the fifth ship in the series. Wärtsilä will develop two rebuilt 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines, allowing them to use three sources of fuel, including methanol.

Compared to conventional fuels, renewable methanol lowers carbon dioxide emissions by up to 95%, reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80% and completely eliminates sulfur oxides and particulate matter emissions, according to the Methanol Institute, the trade association of the methanol industry.

Celebrity Cruises said the technology company will supply two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines that can run on methanol as fuel, two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines and one Wärtsilä 32 engine. The 46F engines are converted to run on methanol at the shipyard.

Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group said: “As we innovate our ship design and offerings, we are also focused on equally evolving the fuel and technology landscape that drives them. By integrating tri-fuel engines, we ensure our ships are ready to adapt and propel the industry towards a more sustainable and zero-emissions future as alternative, low-carbon solutions become more viable.”

The Royal Caribbean Group, which also owns cruise brands Royal Caribbean, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises, has said it is envisioning its entire company Fleet will operate with net-zero emissions by 2050. The company said that 70% of its ships of all brands are already equipped with advanced emission control systems that remove about 98% of sulfur dioxide from ships’ exhaust.

Celebrity Cruises currently operates three Edge-class ships: celebrity edge, celebrity apex And celebrity beyond. The fourth, Celebrity Riseis under construction at the shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique and is scheduled to debut on December 3, 2023in Fort Lauderdale. Celebrity Rise was floated out of the shipyard on January 21, 2023 and work on the 140,600 GRT vessel is continuing at her berth before being tested at sea later this year.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises said: “With the launch of our Edge series of ships in 2018, we set ambitious sustainability goals to make these ships the most energy efficient large ships at sea. In cooperation with our partners, we have continuously developed new technologies and achieved breakthroughs with each additional ship.”

On the rise with alternative fuels

When researching future carbon-neutral fuels for the shipping industry, Wärtsilä said, methanol has emerged as one of the most promising candidates. The company said the planned Edge-class vessel will be the second conversion to a methanol-fuelled engine it has completed and the first to feature the Wärtsilä 46F engine.

The construction of the line’s fifth Edge-class vessel with methanol fuel capabilities will mark a first for the French shipyard.

Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, said: “The development and integration of methanol systems on a cruise ship is a new challenge for Chantiers de l’Atlantique and for the first time part of our decarbonization program.”

Other cruise lines are Using methanol as an alternative fuel. A partnership between Costa Group and methane producer Proman, headquartered in Wollerau, Switzerland, announced in February 2023, will drive the decarbonization of Costa Group’s fleet. Costa said his plans include retrofitting existing ships to run on the clean fuel and building new builds to run on methanol.

Only one cruise ship newbuild that can run on green methanol is currently being built, according to TUI Cruises’ my ship 7. The ship is scheduled to be launched in 2024 and will run on less polluting marine diesel, but will also be equipped to run on methanol fuel.