Following the announcement that Norwegian Cruise Line has a sister ship planned for its third Breakaway Class vessel, which is due in October 2015, it has been revealed that both forthcoming ships – codenamed Breakaway Plus I and Breakaway Plus II – will be equipped with energy-efficient scrubbing technology.
The Breakaway Plus I and the Breakaway Plus II, which is due early in 2017, will be equipped with the green-conscious technology, which is designed to reduce the level of sulphur emissions created by each ship.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Sheehan said in a statement: “Norwegian Cruise Line has a history of innovation along with a commitment to utilizing green technology whenever possible. 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 purpose of the scrubbers is to allow the line’s vessels to continue to sail using heavy fuel in areas where there is a 0.1 per cent sulphur limit, known as Emission Control Areas – namely the 200 nautical miles bordering the coasts of the USA and Canada.
The emission limit regulations are due to be put in place at the start of January 2015, and new scrubber technology is seen by some lines as a more effective way of dealing with the issue, as the alternatives include buying more expensive and difficult to obtain low-sulphur fuel, or pulling out of Emission Controlled Areas altogether.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
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