INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
liquefied natural gas-powered vessel - and other giant cruise liners to follow - will leak harmful methane into the atmosphere.Royal
surging popularity of cruises.The ship is built to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which burns more cleanly than traditional marine fuel
but poses greater risks for methane emissions
dioxide, making cutting those emissions key to holding down global temperature warming.Cruise ships like Icon of the Seas use low-pressure,
There are two other engines used on bulk carriers or container ships that emit less methane but they are too tall to fit in a cruise
ship.Royal Caribbean says its new ship is 24% more efficient when it comes to carbon emissions than required by global shipping regulator
the International Maritime Organization (IMO).LNG emits fewer greenhouse gases than very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) that powers most of the
global shipping fleet, said Steve Esau, chief operating officer of Sea-LNG, a industry advocacy organization.Cruise engines convert natural
to 30 years ago.Cruise ship engines have an estimated methane slip of 6.4% on average, according to 2024 research funded by the ICCT and
a nonprofit organization, noting that the IMO last summer said its efforts to cut greenhouse gases includes addressing methane emissions.Of
the 54 ships on order from January 2024 to December 2028, 63% are expected to be powered by LNG, according to the Cruise Line International
Currently, about 6% of the 300 cruise ships sailing are fueled by LNG.Newer cruise ships are being designed to run on traditional marine gas
oil, LNG or alternatives like bio-LNG that only account for a fraction of U.S
