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New Wärtsilä engine enables methanol for Celebrity's fifth Edge shipNew Wärtsilä engine enables methanol for Celebrity's fifth Edge ship

Celebrity Cruises' fifth Edge-class ship will sport a new Wärtsilä flex fuel engine with the ability to use three types of fuel, including methanol.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

March 28, 2023

2 Min Read
CRUISE Wartsila methanol
Wärtsilä methanol engines offer a route to maritime decarbonizationPHOTO: ©WARTSILA

The vessel is planned for 2024 delivery from Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Close cooperation between Royal Caribbean Group, Wärtsilä and the shipyard is making this possible.

'By incorporating tri-fueled engines, we are ensuring that as alternative, low-carbon-based solutions become more viable, our ships will be ready to adapt and drive the industry forward to a more sustainable and net zero emissions future,' said Jason Liberty, president/CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

Announced at Seatrade Cruise Global

The announcement was made Tuesday during the 'Sustainable Voyages: Decarbonization and the Future of Alternative Fuels' panel at Seatrade Cruise Global.

'With the launch of our Edge series of ships in 2018, we set ambitious sustainability goals to make these ships the most energy efficient large vessels at sea,' Celebrity Cruises President/CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said. 'Working collaboratively with our partners, we have continued to develop new technologies and achieve breakthroughs with each subsequent ship.'

Two converted 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines

To allow for the ship’s fuel flexibility, Wärtsilä will deliver two converted 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines to allow them to use methanol and two conventional fuels. 

This advances carbon-free cruising and, by adding methanol as an option, significantly reduce emissions of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Methanol one the most promising future fuels

'Wärtsilä has invested heavily into researching viable future carbon-neutral fuels for the marine industry, and methanol has emerged as one of the most promising candidates,' said Håkan Agnevall, president/CEO of Wärtsilä. 'This will be the second methanol-fueled engine conversion that we have undertaken, and the first with the Wärtsilä 46F engine. We share the commitment to decarbonize shipping, and the transparent partnership between our three companies for this newbuild project is a tremendous boost for achieving this aim.'

New challenge for Chantiers de l'Atlantique

'Development and integration of methanol systems on a cruise ship is a new challenge for Chantiers de l'Atlantique and, for the first time, is part of our decarbonization program,' noted Laurent Castaing, general manager, Chantiers de l'Atlantique.

The engines were included in Wärtsilä's January 2023 orderbook. The full scope of the order consists of two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines capable of operating with methanol, two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines and one Wärtsilä 32 engine. Wärtsilä will convert the 46F engines to run on methanol at the yard, prior to commissioning.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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