Costa Cruises christens second LNG-powered vessel
Costa Cruises, an Italian branch of the world's biggest cruise operator, Carnival Corp., has officially christened its second LNG-fuelled cruise ship, the company said June 16.
A formal ceremony for the christening of Costa's 185,000 GT Costa Toscana ship was held in Barcelona. It is billed as a "travelling smart city", with bespoke Italian interiors and an onboard offer that includes the Solemio Spa, thematic bars, entertainment and 21 restaurants and dining areas.
Costa Cruises operates Costa Toscana on European cruises. It expects demand to significantly escalate as European holidaymakers book up travel plans, now that COVID-19 restrictions have largely ended. Nearly 14 million Europeans citizens dream of taking a cruise in the next 12 months, according to Costa Cruise research in six countries.
Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Cruises, said: "We must take advantage of this upswing to promote a more sustainable tourism that respects the environment and values local communities."
The Costa Toscana embarked on its first voyage in October 2021. Costa performed its first LNG bunkering operation on its other LNG-fuelled vessel, the Costa Smeralda, in October 2020.
LNG will allow Costa Toscana to meet European demand, while also removing sulfur oxide and particulate emissions from the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxide emissions and CO2 emissions are expected to fall, by 85% and up to 20%, respectively, compared to non-LNG vessels.
The ship uses technology to further reduce environmental harms. It has desalinators on board to clean up sea water for drinking on board, and minimises energy use thanks to an intelligent energy management system.
According to German pollution analyst company Axel Friedrich, a large oil-fuelled cruise ship produces more than five tons of nitrogen oxide/day, and results in more sulphur emissions than millions of cars. The cruise industry is under scrutiny as governments double down on net zero objectives, with LNG one of the best bets for a cleaner future.