By Staff Writer
Instead of heavy oils, Hapag-Lloyd will be turning to low-pollutant marine gas oil (MGO) for all routes sailed by its expedition ships in the fleet, including the HANSEATIC nature, the HANSEATIC inspiration, the BREMEN and the HANSEATIC spirit later in 2021.
The change comes as the cruising industry explodes and more and more ships set sail in a boom that is contributing to water pollution and other problems associated with mass tourism.
Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, said acting responsibly towards nature and the environment is now a top priority for the company: “The decision to change fuels gradually and use marine gas oil all-year round on all expedition fleet routes in future is, for us, a step in the right direction towards achieving this important objective.”
The use of low-sulphur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for several years, and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises currently uses marine gas oil with a sulphur content of just 0.1 per cent in other sensitive regions like the Arctic and Kamchatka. In addition, the new expedition ships are fitted out to use cold ironing and are equipped with a SCR catalytic converter that reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by almost 95 per cent.
“The sensitive cruising areas that make up our expedition itineraries should be particularly protected. There are strict regulations in place for these regions that we adhere to, of course. We also set ourselves strict regulations to abide by when our ships cruise through the more remote regions,” said Pojer.
The routes will be planned and carried out with an average speed that is environmentally-friendly, cutting fuel consumption by around one third. The Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ fleet is also equipped with seawater desalination technology to produce clean water, as well as with biological sewage treatment plants. The bow thrusters and stabilisers run on environmentally-friendly bio-petroleum.
The HANSEATIC inspiration, one of the fleets to be running on low-pollutant fuel, will also be a smoke-free ship come October 2020, from cruise INS2020 onwards. This policy applies to all interior public areas as well as on deck, including the private balconies and verandas.
The fleet is expected to set sail for the Antarctic ten times in total. Its upcoming routes will also include the company’s first South Africa cruise and a first-ever changing of passengers in Goose Bay, Canada during its voyage from Cape Horn to Cape of Good Hope.
Online booking and new expedition cruise catalogues for the 2020-2021 season are available via www.hl-cruises.com.