Carnival Corp has tapped energy giant Shell to power its new liquefied natural gas ships.
Shell will supply what will be the world’s first fully LNG-powered cruise ships from AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises, which will launch in 2019.
The ships will use Shell’s infrastructure in cruise ports for refueling throughout their itineraries.
The ships will be equipped with dual-fuel engines which enable them to be powered entirely by LNG in port and at sea.
"We are committed to reducing our air emissions and improving air quality by evaluating new and established solutions such as LNG – an especially promising option because of its environmental and other benefits," said Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs for Carnival Corporation.
"We are proud to be on the forefront of advancing LNG as a fuel source for the cruise industry and creating an entirely new model for powering next-generation cruise ships. We look forward to a productive partnership with Shell."
Last month Carnival announced the order of three more next-generation ships to be powered by LNG, making a total of seven under construction across four Carnival brands.
