Mon 22 Jul 2013, 13:22 GMT

First newbuild cruise ships to install 'world's smallest scrubber'


Cruise line says its newbuilds will be the first to feature scrubber technology developed by Green Tech Marine.



Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced that its two new Breakaway Plus class ships will be the first newbuilds in the cruise industry to feature scrubber technology developed by Green Tech Marine (GTM), a leading marine scrubber supplier, which claims that its GTM scrubber is the world's smallest.

The two new vessels will be built by Meyer Werft GmbH in Germany and delivered to the fleet in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Green Tech Marine is contracted to provide five scrubbers per ship for the engines, which range from 14.4 to 16.8 megawatts. According to NCL, the installation will be the largest scrubber plant in the world with a total engine power of 76.8 megawatts.

"Norwegian Cruise Line has a history of innovation along with a commitment to utilizing green technology whenever possible," said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's chief executive officer. "Installing scrubbers from Green Tech Marine on our new Breakaway Plus vessels is a smart decision and one that will ensure these ships are as eco-friendly as possible."

The GTM-R scrubbers are compact, making it possible for the builds to avoid the loss of cabin space or other service areas. GTM uses one smaller scrubber for each engine instead of a large multi inlet scrubber serving several engines, and the scrubber also replaces the silencer, which NCL says is very suitable for cruise ships.

The GTM-R scrubbers are said to hold all the necessary certificates to ensure the vessels are compliant with the 0.1% sulphur limit in Emission Control Areas (ECA), beginning in 2015.

GTM has previously delivered scrubbers to NCL's Pride of America, which sails all year round in Hawaii. The scrubbers were installed during the ship's dry dock refurbishment in March and are scheduled to be fully operational later this year.

"We are thrilled to see a large ship owner such as Norwegian Cruise Line and a respected ship builder like Meyer Werft being early adapters of green technology," said President and CEO of GTM, Peter Strandberg.

Image: NCL's Norwegian Breakaway.


Monjasa Oil & Shipping Trainee (MOST) trainees. Monjasa opens applications for global trainee programme  

Marine fuel supplier seeks candidates for MOST scheme spanning offices from Singapore to New York.

Singapore's first fully electric harbour tug. Singapore's first fully electric tug completes commissioning ahead of April deployment  

PaxOcean and ABB’s 50-tonne bollard-pull vessel represents an early step in harbour craft electrification.

Fuel for thought: Hydrogen report cover. Lloyd's Register report examines hydrogen's potential and challenges for decarbonisation  

Classification society highlights fuel's promise alongside safety, infrastructure, and cost barriers limiting maritime adoption.

Bureau Veritas and Straits Bio-LNG sign MoU. BV Malaysia partners with Straits Bio-LNG on sustainable biomethane certification  

MoU aims to establish ISCC EU-certified biomethane production and liquefaction facility in strategic alliance.

Molgas Energy logo. Molgas becomes non-clearing member at European Energy Exchange  

Spanish energy company joins EEX as it expands European operations and strengthens shipper role.

Yiannis Diamandopoulos, Elinoil. Diamandopoulos appointed CEO of Elinoil as Aligizakis becomes chairman  

Greek marine lube supplier announces leadership changes following board meeting on 5 January.

Sustainable Marine Fuel Services webinar hosted by BV graphic. Bureau Veritas to host webinar on sustainable marine fuel transition challenges  

Classification society to address regulatory compliance, market trends, and investment strategies in February online event.

Inchcape Shipping Services logo. Inchcape to provide bunkering services from new Indonesian offices  

Port agency establishes presence in key bulk and tanker operation hubs handling 150 calls annually.

CPN launch of B100 marine biodiesel supply in Hong Kong graphic. Chimbusco Pan Nation launches B100 biodiesel supply in Hong Kong  

Bunker tanker Guo Si becomes Hong Kong's first Type II certified vessel for pure biodiesel operations.

Vox Apolonia vessel. Van Oord completes Dutch beach replenishment using 100% bio-LNG  

Dredger Vox Apolonia deposited 1 million cbm of sand at Noord-Beveland beach under Coastline Care programme.