Carnival Corporation announced the rollout of comprehensive technology upgrades called Service Power Packages across its global 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, and aims to deliver an average of 5-10% fuel savings per ship.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the program upon completion is expected to generate over $150 million in annual fuel cost savings.
Developed over the past six years, the company’s Service Power program delivers significant efficiency upgrades across the fleet, including air conditioning upgrades to cabin and public areas, and enhancements to cooling, lighting and automation systems.
The Carnival Corporation Service Power Packages include the following elements designed to work together to reduce each ship’s overall service load:
- 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. Additionally, indoor air quality is continuously monitored and maintained to the highest standards at sea, using an industry-leading air filtration and ultraviolet-C treatment throughout the ship.
- 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 together dramatically lower 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.
The Service Power program closely aligns with our long-term sustainability and decarbonization goals and our highest responsibility and top priority, which is compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we visit, and our shipboard and shoreside personnel
said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation.
The fleetwide enhancements are part of Carnival Corporation’s 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 optimization strategy and design of more efficient itineraries.
Together, 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 traveled.
As part of its longer-term sustainability plan and vision, Carnival Corporation has committed to significant investments to achieve its 2030 sustainability goals and 2050 aspirations, which incorporate six critical sustainability focus areas overall.
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.
