Carnival expands installation of energy-saving air lubrication systems

This is expected to generate significant savings in fuel consumption and carbon emissions by reducing hull drag approximately 5% per ship.

Silverstream System

Carnival is currently installing the Silverstream System on five ships, including two in 2022 for Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises. In addition, the company is planning at least 10 more installations for existing and newbuild ships across more than half of its brands, and it expects continued expansion of the air lubrication program over time.

This expansion plans build on the success of four systems currently operating on ships of AIDA Cruises and Princess Cruises.

Started in 2016 with AIDAprima

The technology, which first saw service within the Carnival Corp. fleet in 2016 with the introduction of AIDAprima, generates a cushion of air bubbles to lubricate the flat bottom of a ship's hull, reducing friction with the surrounding water. This results in savings in energy and fuel consumption across a wide speed range.

'The installation of air lubrication technology is another example of our ongoing efforts to drive energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and emissions throughout our fleet,' said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer, Carnival Corp. 'We look forward to expanding the ALS program and furthering our long-term sustainability strategy to continually invest in a broad range of energy reduction initiatives, which has included over $350 million invested in energy efficiency improvements since 2016.'