Carnival Corporation program expected to save more than one bln gallons of fuel by end of 2014
Carnival Corporation & plc , the world’s largest cruise company, today released the results of its multi-year Fleet Fuel Conservation Program that by the end of 2014 will have saved more than one billion gallons of fuel and reduced fleet carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms over a seven year period, the company said in its press release.
By the end of 2014, Carnival Corporation’s Fleet Fuel Conservation Program will have improved the fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 24 percentcompared to 2007, while saving approximately $2.5 billion in fuel costs, the company’s single biggest expense. Carnival Corporation announced the results of its fuel conservation efforts in conjunction with a National Press Club event celebrating world tourism today in Washington, D.C.
Carnival Corporation’s Fleet Fuel Conservation Program combines energy-saving programs onboard current ships with new energy-efficient ship designs to reduce energy consumption and boost fuel efficiency across its fleet of over 100 ships. The program has become a cornerstone of the corporation’s strategy to collaborate across its nine industry-leading brands and leverage its scale, while supporting sustainability initiatives designed to reduce environmental impact from maritime operations.
Since cruise ships generate their own electricity from fuel, Carnival set out to uncover every feasible way to reduce onboard energy usage and launched several key conservation initiatives since 2007 that have driven the success of the Fleet Fuel Conservation Program. These efforts include:
Propulsion: Improving how the ship moves through the water by optimizing ship speeds and cruise distances to design more fuel-efficient itineraries, significantly reducing energy and fuel consumption.
Hull coatings: Using new hull coatings and cleaning technologies to minimize the growth of marine organisms that create drag on the hull, which reduces the amount of fuel needed to move the ship through water.
Air conditioning: Installing new, energy-efficient A/C systems to help reduce the energy used to cool the ships, which is the second largest consumer of onboard energy after propulsion.
Lighting: Replacing traditional lighting with more efficient LED bulbs is an ongoing opportunity to save energy, as the company continues the process of replacing four million lights across the fleet.
Water production: While producing 73 percent of water used onboard its ships, Carnival is reducing the rate of onboard water usage and finding more efficient ways to produce water, including better use of engine heat to convert sea water to fresh water and installation of reverse osmosis systems.
Education & Training: Increasing onboard energy use awareness among officers, crew and guests.
Other initiatives: The company is pursuing additional energy-saving ideas for engine room cooling equipment, audio and entertainment systems, galley/cooking appliances and laundry services, and expanding the 20 percent of ships equipped for “cold ironing” as more ports offer the ability to connect to shore electrical power. Carnival also continues to develop its ability to use alternative fuels.
New ship builds also drive significant improvements in fleet fuel efficiency through energy-saving innovations that are designed directly into the new vessels. By adding over 30 new ships to its fleet since 2007, Carnival Corporation has capitalized on the latest advances in energy efficiency, including building larger ships with highly efficient propulsion systems that incorporate new computer-modeled hull designs and the latest in fuel-efficient propeller and engine combinations.
“We have made great strides in working together to reduce energy and fuel consumption across our fleet, which is a top priority for us as a company,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We are very proud of our conservation efforts, but we also realize that doing our part to reduce carbon emissions and help protect the environment is a job that is never complete. We’re committed to building on the momentum of our sustainability initiatives because it is the right thing to do for the environment and our fellow citizens, the passengers and crew on our ships, the communities we visit, and also for our business.”
About Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 101 ships totaling 212,000 lower berths with seven new ships scheduled to be delivered between fall 2014 and summer 2016. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.