365 m long, 65 m wide, 8,000 passengers: the Icon of the Seas takes to the sea and arouses the fear of environmental defenders

The LNG that powers the liner is less harmful than traditional marine fuel but presents greater risks in terms of methane emissions. -Royal Caribbean

In total, this gigantic cruise liner has 6 slides, 7 swimming pools, 40 restaurants, an artificial wave, a 16-meter waterfall located inside the ship, a gigantic glass dome present at the front… Passengers are spread over 20 decks.

The world's largest cruise ship was preparing to make its maiden voyage on Saturday, amid concerns from environmental groups that the ship, fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) – could be fueled by heavy oil. #39;like other giant cruise ships that followed – does not release harmful methane into the atmosphere.

Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas departs from Miami, with a capacity of 8,000 passengers spread across 20 decks, amid the growing popularity of cruises. The LNG that powers it is less harmful than traditional marine fuel but presents greater risks in terms of methane emissions. Environmental groups say methane leaks from the ship's engines pose an unacceptable risk to the climate due to their short-term harmful effects.

$1.65 billion

L'Icon of the Seas is the ship of all records: 365 meters long, 65 meters wide, 250,000 tons. "Au In total, it cost 1.65 billion dollars for 900 days of construction, explains La Dépêche. In total, there are 6 slides for 7 swimming pools, 40 restaurants, an artificial wave, a 16-meter waterfall located inside the ship and even a gigantic dome of glass present at the front."

"This's a step in the wrong direction", said Bryan Comer, program director of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), an environmental policy think tank."We estimate that the use of LNG as a marine fuel emits more than 120% more greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle than the marine gas oil", he said. In terms of global warming, methane is 80 times more harmful over 20 years than carbon dioxide, making reducing its emissions a key element in the fight against global warming.

Cruise ships like the Icon of the Seas use low-pressure, dual-fuel engines that leak methane into the atmosphere during the combustion process, according to # 39;s industry. Two other types of engines used by bulk carriers and container ships emit less methane, but they are too large to be installed on cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean says its new ship is 24% more efficient in terms of carbon emissions than required by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). LNG emits fewer greenhouse gases than ultra-low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), which fuels most of the world's fleet, said Steve Esau, chief executive of Sea-LNG, an advocacy organization. industry. Cruise engines convert natural gas into energy in a cylinder, where it is "important to ensure that all natural gas is converted into energy", said Juha Kytölä, director of R&D and engineering at Wärtsilä, which developed cruise ship engines.

What is not converted can escape into the atmosphere during the combustion process, he added, noting that Wärtsilä's natural gas engine technology emits 90% % less methane than 20 or 30 years ago. Cruise ship engines have an estimated methane emission rate of 6.4% on average, according to 2024 research funded by ICCT and other partners. The OMI expects 3.5%.

6% of the 300 cruise ships run on LNG

"Methane is receiving increased attention", Anna said Barford, head of Canada's shipping campaign for Stand Earth, a non-profit organization, noted that the IMO said last summer that its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases greenhouses include the fight against methane emissions. Of the 54 ships ordered between January 2024 and December 2028, 63% are expected to be LNG-powered, according to the Cruise Line International Association.

Currently, around 6% of the 300 cruise ships sailing are powered by LNG. New cruise ships are designed to run on traditional marine gas oil, LNG or other energy sources like bioLNG, which represent only a fraction of the fuel consumption in the USA. Royal Caribbean will use different fuels as the market evolves, said Nick Rose, the company's vice president for environmental, social and governance issues. "The LNG is part of our current strategy", he said.