MIAMI, Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The newest
class of ships from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) will
be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and introduce the use of
fuel cell technology, ushering in a new era of shipbuilding that
will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The ships will join the fleet of Royal Caribbean International,
an industry leader in innovation and breakthrough ship design.
RCL said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with
shipbuilder Meyer Turku for the new
class of vessel under the project name "Icon." The vessels will be
delivered in the second quarters of 2022 and 2024. In the meantime,
the company said, it will begin testing fuel cell technology on an
existing Oasis-class ship in 2017, and will also run progressively
larger fuel cell projects on new Quantum class vessels being built
in the next several years.
Royal Caribbean is already
known for making steady progress on energy efficiency and reduced
emissions through such technologies as air lubrication, which sends
billions of microscopic bubbles along the hull of a ship to reduce
friction, and AEP scrubbers, which clean exhaust gases before they
leave the ship. Use of the new technologies will result in much
cleaner emissions, as they produce no sulfur and significantly
reduce the production of nitrogen oxides and particulates.
"With Icon class, we move further in the journey to take the
smoke out of our smokestacks," said Richard
Fain, chairman and chief executive officer of Royal
Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. "We are dedicated to innovation, continuous
improvement, and environmental responsibility, and Icon gives us
the opportunity to deliver against all three of these pillars."
"Our guests expect us to push every envelope we can," said
Michael Bayley, president and chief
executive officer of Royal Caribbean International. "And on this
new class of ship, we began by challenging ourselves to find a new
approach to power and propulsion that is safe, reliable, and more
energy-efficient than ever before." Bayley added that exciting and
innovative new guest experience elements of the Icon class design
will be revealed later in the development process.
"Our partnership with RCL has created a number of groundbreaking
ship classes, such as Oasis, Celebrity Solstice, Quantum, and
Mein Schiff, and we are grateful
that Royal Caribbean is again giving us the opportunity to
partner with them on a new class of ships," said Jan Meyer, the CEO of Meyer Turku.
The switch to LNG provides further momentum for the technology,
which has begun making significant inroads in the maritime
industry. "Increasing the commitment to LNG makes it easier for
suppliers to make their own infrastructure commitments," said Fain.
"As more ships are built for LNG, the number of ports that support
it will grow." The Icon ships are expected to run primarily on LNG
but will also be able to run on distillate fuel, to accommodate
occasional itineraries that call on ports without LNG
infrastructure.
The introduction of fuel cells represents another dramatic step
forward for the maritime industry, which has only made limited
experiments using the technology. "We believe fuel cells offer very
interesting design possibilities," said Harri Kulovaara, RCL's
chief of ship design. "As the technology becomes smaller and more
efficient, fuel cells become more viable in a significant way to
power the ship's hotel functions. We will begin testing those
possibilities as soon as we can, and look to maximize their use
when Icon class debuts."
Kulovaara said RCL had been eyeing fuel cells for nearly a
decade, and believes the technology is now at a stage of
development that justifies investment. "There is a long lead time
for Icon class, and we will use that time to work with Meyer Turku to adapt fuel cell technology for
maritime use." Kulovaara said that additional regulatory standards
would also need to be developed for the technology.
Because of the long lead time, Kulovaara said that many Icon
design elements are in early stages. The Icon ships would likely
accommodate approximately 5,000 passengers, he said, but details
are still being worked out.
Icon is the first new ship class announced by RCL since
Celebrity Cruises' new Edge class, which debuts in 2018. The
company is also expanding its fleet with new Oasis- and
Quantum-class ships for Royal Caribbean International. Fain said
the new ships are in line with RCL's strategy of moderate capacity
growth.
This order is contingent upon the completion of contractual
conditions, including documentation and financing. Final
contracts are expected to be completed by year end. Based
upon current ship orders, projected capital expenditures for full
year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 are $2.4 billion, $0.5
billion, $2.6 billion,
$1.5 billion and $2.0 billion, respectively. Capacity
increases for 2016 through 2020 remain unchanged and do not include
potential ship sales or additions that the company may elect to
make in the future.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise
vacation company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity
Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, as well as TUI Cruises through
our 50 percent joint venture interest and Pullmantur and CDF
Croisières de France through our
49 percent joint venture interest. Together, these six brands
operate a combined total of 48 ships with an additional 11 on
order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that
call on approximately 490 destinations on all seven
continents. Additional information can be found on
www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com,
www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.pullmantur.es,
www.cdfcroisieresdefrance.com, www.tuicruises.com or
www.rclinvestor.com.
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SOURCE Royal Caribbean