Karl WP Beyer September 29, 2022 – The German cruise company Hapag Lloyd Cruises, which operates in the luxury and expedition segment, reports on the occasion of today's World Shipping Day on its efforts to optimize the ecological balance.
Since 1978, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United Nations have been dedicating themselves to maritime shipping on the last Thursday in September. In the current year, the action day has the motto "New technologies for greener shipping". Hapag Lloyd Cruises, a segment of Hamburg-based TUI Cruises, feels committed to the topic and supports it with its own measures. These include, above all, the use of sustainable biofuel and the testing of shore power connections in the new construction of the expedition ships.
Admixture of biofuels
The company has not used heavy fuel oil since 2020. Instead, it uses marine gas oil with a sulfur content of 0,1 percent. Next Sunday, for the first time at the HANSEATIC inspiration, 30 percent of biofuel from sustainable resources, primarily cooking oil residues, will be added to marine gas oil. The certified biofuel is almost free of sulfur oxides. The CO2-Reduction is up to 90 percent compared to fossil fuels. The company plans to use biofuels across all fleets.
Reduction in fuel consumption
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises relies on the "slow steaming" principle. Timetables are designed with a reduced average speed. To put it bluntly, “the last 3 knots” are omitted. The fuel savings achieved are estimated at more than 30 percent of consumption. In addition, emissions are reduced.
MS EUROPA 2 in Dubai
Test phase of shore power connections
The EUROPA 2 has already received certification for shore power connections at the Cruise Center Hamburg Altona. The company is currently focusing on certifying the shore power connections for the three expedition ships in the fleet.
Other optimization measures
All five ships own and use seawater desalination plants for water treatment. Garbage is separated on board; in addition, waste water is cleaned in sewage treatment plants before being discharged into the sea.
