World’s largest cruise ship begins its maiden voyage
The world’s largest cruise ship has set sail from Miami, Florida, on its maiden voyage, despite concerns about the vessel’s methane emissions.
The 1,200ft-long Icon of the Seas – which has 20 decks, seven swimming pools, more than 40 restaurants and can house 7,600 passengers – has started its seven-day island-hopping voyage in the Caribbean.
But environmentalists have criticised the vessel, saying the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ship will leak harmful methane into the air.
Although LNG burns more cleanly than traditional marine fuels, it poses greater risks for methane emissions, which is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
“It’s a step in the wrong direction,” Bryan Comer, director of the marine programme at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), told Reuters news agency.
“We would estimate that using LNG as a marine fuel emits over 120 per cent more life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than marine gas oil,” he said.
Earlier this week, the ICCT released a report arguing that methane emissions from LNG-fuelled ships were higher than current regulations assumed.
Methane in the atmosphere traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Cutting these emissions is seen as crucial to slowing down global warming.
Royal Caribbean, which owns the vessel, says the Icon of the Seas is 24 per cent more energy efficient than required by the International Maritime Organization for modern ships. The company plans to introduce a net-zero ship by 2035.
The cruise industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism. Of the 54 ships on order from January 2024 to December 2028, 63 per cent are expected to be powered by LNG, according to the Cruise Line International Association. Currently, about six per cent of the 300 cruise ships sailing are fueled by LNG.
