Royal Caribbean Group claims it will set a new “industry milestone” in alternative fuel usage this summer with a trial of sustainable biofuel on two ships.
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex and Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas (pictured) will sail in Europe using sustainable biofuel to meet part of the ships’ fuel needs.
“The landmark test will contribute critical data and research on the fuel’s capabilities and supply chain infrastructure needed to further the industry’s alternative fuel ambitions,” said the group.
During the three-month test, Celebrity Apex will depart from Rotterdam and Symphony of the Seas will depart from Barcelona, using a biofuel blend that reduces the ships’ carbon emissions.
The biofuel blend is produced by purifying renewable raw materials such as oils and fats and combining it with fuel oil to create an alternative fuel that is cleaner and more sustainable.
Jason Liberty, president and chief executive at Royal Caribbean Group, said: “Biofuels will play an increasingly important role in achieving, not only our own, but the entire maritime sector’s decarbonisation goals in the short and medium term.”
After the trials are completed this summer, Royal Caribbean Group plans to increase the use of alternative fuels, including biofuels, across upcoming European summer sailings.
The trial follows a similar biofuel test last autumn on the California-based Navigator of the Seas, which became the first a cruise ship to sail from a US port while using renewable diesel fuel.