Royal Caribbean International has posted a video [below] of the installation of the first of the two LNG fuel tanks that the new Icon of the Seas will boast.
The fuel tanks – which Royal Caribbean brands “game-changing” – weigh 307 tons and measure 90 feet (27 meters) in length and according to the cruise line, they are the largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) fuel tanks in the cruise industry.
The 5,000-passenger ship will be the cruise line’s first ship powered by LNG, with its construction underway at Meyer Turku shipyard and the vessel set to debut in fall 2023.
The cruise line said that LNG makes for “virtually zero sulfur dioxides and particulates” and a “significant reduction in nitrous oxides.” The ship will also use shore power connectivity to remove emissions while connected at port, as well as advanced waste heat recovery systems that repurpose heat to be used as energy onboard.
The Icon of the Seas is the first ship in the cruise line’s new Icon Class. Royal Caribbean said that the vessel will “make waves” with a mix of innovations and adventures “cruising’s never seen before.”
The ship will be a significant milestone in the cruise line’s journey to becoming emission-free and building a “clean-energy future,” Royal Caribbean wrote.
“Decades of continuous improvement in energy efficiency and ocean conservation will be evident throughout the Icon,” the cruise line shared.
John Alwyn-Jones, Cruise Editor
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