Holland America Line has become the first Carnival Corporation brand to run a long-term 100% biofuel test on a ship.
The 20-day trial took place on board Volendam in Rotterdam.
The ship had been chartered to accommodate Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands between April and September 16, with the assessment completed a week earlier.
The advanced biofuel is derived from feedstocks that are certified as 100% waste or residue.
In the first five days of the test the ship used a mix of 30% biofuel and 70% marine gas oil (MGO) in one of its main auxiliary engines.
For the final 15 days of testing, the ship used 100% biofuel.
This resulted in a 78% decline in lifecycle CO2 emissions during the final 15 days of the trial compared to marine gas oil emissions, according to sustainable biofuels producer GoodFuels.
Volendam was selected for the test since it was located in Rotterdam, one of the global ports where GoodFuels operates the infrastructure necessary to provide biofuel fuelling services.
The use of a “drop-in” biofuel such as the one tested on Volendam requires no shipboard refitting or special equipment, the line said.
Carnival Corporation German brand Aida also partnered with Goodfuels in July to run a blended biofuel test on board Aidaprima in Rotterdam.
While biofuels have been tested on large diesel engines at shoreside research facilities and on a few cargo ships, these represented the first live tests on working cruise ships.
HAL president Gus Antorcha said: “We were excited to have this opportunity to test a next-generation fuel resource on a Holland America Line ship, and we are very encouraged by the results.
“As part of our commitment to sustainability, we have always looked for cutting-edge solutions to environmental challenges that will help us meet Carnival Corporation’s sustainability goals over the coming decades.”
The corporation aims to achieve a 40% reduction in carbon per available lower-berth-day by 2030; expand its alternative fuels strategy across its liquefied natural gas (LNG) programme and battery, fuel cell and biofuel capabilities; and deliver a 50% reduction in absolute air emissions of particulate matter by 2030.
The world’s largest cruise company has an “aspiration” to achieve net carbon neutral operations by 2050.
GoodFuels founder and chief executive Dirk Kronemeijer said: “Marine biofuel is already the biggest low carbon marine fuel in the world and we expect usage to rise sharply to 10% of total volume by 2030.”
in the Netherlands. The 20-day test was conducted in partnership with GoodFuels, a leading producer and supplier of sustainable biofuels for the transportation industry, and, a global leader in
Ricardo Opperman, North America managing director of marine power and propulsion technologies firm Wartsila, added: “Our extensive work in testing alternative marine fuels is a central part of our efforts to shape viable decarbonisation options for our customers.
“We are continuously developing our engine technology to accept and retain operational and environmental efficiency levels with various future fuels, including biofuels.
These sea trials with 100% biofuel will be especially important — for Carnival Corporation, for Goodfuels, for Wärtsilä, and for the industry as a whole.”