Royal Caribbean takes delivery of LNG dual-fuel cruise ship

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean International has taken delivery of an LNG dual-fuel cruise ship from France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique.

PHOTO: Royal Caribbean’s LNG dual-fuel vessel Utopia of the Seas. Chantiers de l’Atlantique

The cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, can run on both LNG and conventional marine fuels. The vessel will enter service from Port Canaveral in Florida this month.

LNG has been gaining popularity among shipowners. The global LNG-fuelled fleet is currently made up of 547 vessels, with another 170 expected to join this year, classification society DNV data shows.

LNG can curb carbon dioxide emissions by about a quarter compared to conventional bunker fuels. But its methane emissions can be 36 times more potent as a greenhouse gas (GHG) compared to carbon dioxide over a century, according to a World Bank study.

By Tuhin Roy

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