Virgin Voyages steps up green appeal of new ships

A contract has been signed to provide an environmentally friendly compressed air system to the first of three ships being built for start-up cruise line Virgin Voyages.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, has been struck between Oslo-based international compressor supplier TMC Compressors and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri.

TMC’s ‘smart air’ compressors claim to offer 50% energy saving compared to conventional compressors.

This technology is described as a “good match” for the ships, which will be equipped with a range of equipment to reduce their environmental impact.

Virgin Voyages recently unveiled a system that transforms low-grade energy into clean electricity by using the diesel engine’s waste heat.

The system will result in an estimated reduction of 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide per ship per year, according to Virgin Voyages.

The first ship is due for delivery in 2020 following the first steel cutting in Genoa last month, followed by keel laying during the fourth quarter of 2017.

Each of the three 2,700-passenger ships will be about 110,000 gross tons with more than 1,400 cabins.

TMC managing director, Per Kjellin, said: “Virgin Voyages wants a strong environmental profile for their new cruise ship.

“This is a good match for our smart air technology, which I believe was a key reason for why TMC was chosen for this project.

“We have also supplied our compressed air systems to numerous other Fincantieri new-builds, so they are familiar with the reliability of our technology.”

Virgin Voyages marine senior vice president, Stuart Hawkins, said: “We will continue to work together with Fincantieri to select great partners who share our vision to make a sea change.

“We are pleased to welcome TMC on board and excited that their system helps us to achieve our energy savings and ship efficiency goals.”