Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Completes Biofuel Trial

Posted on 11 February, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

PRIO, a producer of biofuels in Portugal, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in collaboration with World Fuel Services (WFS), have successfully completed the first trials with sustainable biofuels produced in Portugal, according to a press release.

Following the launch of ECO Bunkers B15 and taking the first step towards the decarbonization of maritime transport in the Iberian Peninsula, PRIO has announced a blend of Biofuels with 30 per cent renewable base material.

This milestone was achieved in collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and the Florida-based energy and services company World Fuel Services.

The new fuel, ECO Bunkers B30, contains a blend of 30 per cent of advanced biofuel from waste raw materials and it is produced at PRIO’s biodiesel plant in Aveiro. This enables the company to scale up production as demand increases and to adjust the percentage of Biodiesel blends (up to a 100 per cent renewable product).

Luis Nunes, a member of PRIO’s Executive Board said: “Advanced biofuels, produced from residual raw materials, i.e., the result of circular economy, are the solution of the present and that allows us to immediately meet the growing needs of our clients. They are “drop-in” solutions, meaning that they did not require any modifications to the engine or tank of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ cruise ships and, in this way, allowed an immediate impact without any need for additional investment in these ships.

“We are at a crucial moment in the world’s response to climate and biodiversity emergencies, so PRIO believes we can already accelerate the energy transition if we increase the contribution of advanced biofuels in the maritime sector,” he added.

PRIO has established itself as the ideal partner for maritime companies on the road toward decarbonization of the sector.

With the help of World Fuel Services, two Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings ships were fueled with a total of 400 tons of B30 supplied by PRIO last year.

The Norwegian Star received 200 tons of ECO Bunkers B30 in Lisbon in November.

The following week, the Norwegian Epic, received another 200 tons of ECO Bunkers B30. This has enabled the cruise company to avoid approximately 440 tons of CO2 emissions.

Queen Mary 2 in mid-Atlantic mercy mission

Posted on 27 September, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Queen Mary 2 in mid-Atlantic mercy mission

By Phil Davies

Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 stopped in mid-Atlantic yesterday to provide assistance to a lone woman rowing across the ocean.

The ship, sailing from New York to Southampton, received a request to assist after Canadian solo rower Mylène Paquette lost her anchor and a satellite phone in a storm.

She received four watertight canisters containing the requested items including a new satellite phone after 83 days at sea and two months to go.

QM2 slowly circled the boat at 10 knots to calm the water before the provisions, including food, bottled water, tea and coffee, were dropped into the sea and collected by Paquette.

The ship also supplied a scraper to remove the barnacles underneath the rowing boat, duct tape, soap, shampoo and body lotion.

Captain Kevin Oprey, master of QM2, said: “We are happy to have given assistance to Mylène and help her recover from the damage inflicted by the storm. We wish her the very best of luck with her solo Atlantic rowing adventure.”

Paquette said: “This is a dream come true! For me to see the Queen Mary 2 in the middle of the Atlantic is something I would have never hoped for. I want to thank all of the members of the crew for making this encounter happen.”

She is aiming to become the first North American woman to row solo across the Atlantic, a total of 2,700 nautical miles, having set out from Halifax, Canada on July 6 for Lorient in France.

River cruise sustainability guide launched

Posted on 26 September, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

River cruise sustainability guide launched

A guide offering best practices to river cruise operators on how to operate with as little environmental impact as possible has been developed by the Travel Foundation.

The ‘Environmental Sustainability for River Cruising’ is designed to support the river cruise tourism industry in working towards a sustainable future by identifying ways to reduce water and energy use, and waste generation on river cruise ships.

The best practices offered in the guide come from audits done on ships in Egypt, along the Nile, and in Europe, along the Danube, Rhine, and Rhône rivers.

Twelve Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection ships were audited. The recommendations made from the findings were used to form the basis of the guide, which provides training material for the river cruise industry at large in managing their own environmental performance.

The guidance will mark a breakthrough in reducing the environmental impact of river cruising tourism worldwide, charity the Travel Foundation claims.

Uniworld president Guy Young said: “With the growth of the river cruise sector, it is essential that we all do our part to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our waterways, which is why we are so proud to be part of such an important first-of-its-kind project in the river cruise sector.

“All river cruise companies should seek to better understand and adopt environmental performance measures in an effort to prevent serious environmental impact in the destinations where we travel and operate.

“To this end, we hope this Environmental Sustainability for River Cruising guide will provide them with best practice examples, tools, and sources of further information, as well as a self-assessment checklist in their own efforts of continuous improvements towards a more sustainable future.”

Salli Felton, acting chief executive of the Travel Foundation, added: “It’s important that the river cruising sector addresses the environmental impact of its day-to-day operation, so that it can grow sustainably.

“We’ve broken the guide down into small manageable chunks so that companies can take a step-by-step approach to minimising the negative effect they may be having on the environment.”

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises are sold through Titan Travel in the UK.