Carnival backs LNG to further decarbonisation effort

Cruise line operator Carnival Corporation has said it will continue to focus on LNG to further its decarbonisation efforts.

In its latest sustainability report the firm said it was on track to meet its 20pc carbon intensity reduction target, relative to a 2019 baseline, by 2030. One of the main ways of meeting its target is through use of LNG as a marine fuel. This is becoming increasingly popular in the maritime sector, as a transition option to lower carbon emissions.

Carnival operates six LNG-fuelled ships. Two of these, the AIDAcosma and Costa Toscana, went into service this year.

Some of Carnival's Mediterranean-based vessels operate from the Port of Barcelona, where in 2021 four of its LNG-powered ships carried out 18 ship-to-ship bunkering operations, with a total 38,000m³ loaded. In the US, Carnival signed an agreement with Shell in 2017 for fuel supply to Carnival's North American LNG operation, and its sustainability report said this partnership is ongoing.

Carnival is looking into the possibility of bio-LNG and liquified bio-methane, with Shell and other suppliers. By 2025, Carnival expects to have 11 LNG-powered vessels, which would represent 20pc of its capacity.

It also said it was on track to reduce particulate-matter emissions such sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrous oxide (NOx) by 50pc, relative to 2015 levels, by 2030. It has fitted 90pc of its fleet of 91 ships with exhaust scrubbers, which reduce SOx and NOx emissions. Scrubbers have been required if an operator chooses to burn high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) since the International Maritime Organisation introduced a cap on sulphur emissions from 2020. Last year, just over 51pc of the fuel that Carnival burned was HSFO, 44.5pc was marine gasoil or diesel oil, and the remainder was LNG.

Carnival aspires to achieve carbon-neutral shipping operations by 2050.

By Jonah Sweeney