World's largest cruise company combines custom
hull designs, propulsion hardware, and underwater inspection and
cleaning drones to fine-tune hydrodynamic efficiency and reduce
underwater drag
MIAMI, Feb. 27,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation &
plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise
company, is advancing greater fuel efficiency for propulsion
through innovative hull designs and new hardware and technology,
along with underwater drone inspection and cleaning trials.
This work is done through complementary strategies focused on
maximizing hydrodynamic performance and enhancing ongoing hull
maintenance, which reduces a ship's underwater drag. Together,
these efforts reduce fuel use for each ship and across the
company's global fleet, which also lowers its overall greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions.
"We're not just tinkering here – we're looking at every
available area for improvement for how our cruise ships operate,"
said Lars Ljoen, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation.
"By combining state-of-the-art hull designs, advanced propulsion
technology and years of experience, we're continuously enhancing
our ships' performance."
Increasing Hydrodynamic Efficiency
The following
elements cumulatively improve hydrodynamic efficiency across the
fleet, reducing the propulsive power and fuel needed to drive ships
through water:
- Hull Designs: When selecting the optimal hull design,
computer-assisted analysis enables ship and propeller designers to
run hundreds of thousands of simulations, identifying the best
design options for different sailing conditions.
- Trim Optimization: Software is used onboard to
optimize the trim of a vessel by transferring ballast water
internally to ensure that the ship operates continuously in the
best configuration for propulsive efficiency.
- Podded Propellers: Over 40 ships in the company's
fleet are fitted with high-efficiency, 360-degree steerable podded
propulsion units that are up to ~7% more efficient than
conventional propellers. This number will continue to grow as new
ships with this technology are added to the fleet.
- Air Lubrication Systems (ALS): Over 10% of the company's
fleet is already equipped with this leading-edge technology, which
uses air bubbles to reduce the ship's resistance as it moves
through the water, reducing propulsive fuel consumption by 5% or
more. Over the next three years, 10 more ships are planned for ALS
conversion.
- Hull Inspections with Drones: Drones are being trialed
to monitor the condition of hull coatings, allowing the company to
optimize the timing of hull cleaning and manage marine growth and
debris for retaining peak hydrodynamic efficiency.
- Robot Hull Cleaning: The company is conducting
trials with several service providers that offer the next
generation of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) "robot" hull
cleaners. The ROVs can map the hull and accelerate the cleaning
process, offering continuous improvement opportunities for cleaning
speed, efficiency and quality to approach the goal of full hull
cleaning during a single port visit and efficiently cleaning
without damaging protective hull coatings.
- Next-Gen Hull Paint: Innovative new hull coatings with
advanced biofouling prevention are continually being tested across
the company's global operations to evaluate durability, efficiency,
longevity and ease of application. At any one time, about 15% of
the Carnival Corporation fleet is trialing promising new
coatings.
The application of increasingly effective hull coatings, and
proactive maintenance and performance strategies are high on the
list of Carnival Corporation's fuel savings and decarbonization
strategies as the company pursues its aspiration of net zero GHG
emissions by 2050.
Ljoen added: "This has been a journey of small steps
and years of continued collaboration to push the boundaries of
innovation and drive solutions for greater efficiencies. It is safe
to say that collectively these initiatives have contributed to
significant improvements in fuel and energy efficiency over time.
In essence, we are continuously reducing our environmental
footprint at the same time we deliver the best vacation experience
for our guests."
For more information on the company's long-term sustainability
vision and focus areas, visit Carnival
Corporation's dedicated report
website, CarnivalSustainability.com.
This release may include claims related to our greenhouse gas
emissions reductions, goals, initiatives, accomplishments, and
progress reports. Supporting data for such greenhouse gas emissions
claims, including data verification information, is published in
our Sustainability Reports on carnivalcorp.com/sustainability on an
annual basis.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company
and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of
world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises
(Australia), P&O Cruises (UK),
Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.
Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com,
www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com,
www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.
For information on Carnival Corporation's industry-leading
sustainability initiatives, visit
www.carnivalsustainability.com.
Carnival Corporation Media Contacts:
Janna Rowell, Carnival Corporation,
jrowell@carnival.com
Ellie Beuerman,
LDWW, ellie@ldww.co
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
