When TUI Cruises introduced its newest ship, Mein Schiff 7, this summer, she became the first cruise ship to be methanol ready. Meanwhile, the ship is operating on low-emission marine diesel with a maximum 0.1 percent sulfur content, said Lucienne Damm, head of sustainability at TUI Cruises, and is equipped with catalytic converters for up to 75 percent reduction of NOx, as well as having a shore power connection.

Being methanol ready means that Mein Schiff 7 can run on methanol, and green methanol, when that becomes available, which will make the ship almost CO2-neutral, according to Damm.

She said that all the currently available technical equipment has been installed, such as tanks and piping systems, while development work continues on the components that will enable the four-stroke engines to burn methanol.

The plan is that Mein Schiff 7 will become the first cruise ship to run on methanol in 2026, after which TUI will consider retrofits of other vessels based on its operating experience.

“Although it is currently impossible to predict which low-emission fuels will prevail in the long term, especially on a global scale, TUI Cruises is pursuing two technical approaches,” said Damm.

“In addition to Mein Schiff 7 being methanol capable, our new InTUItion class will have dual fuel engines for LNG which can be used during the transition phase. The use of synthetic LNG, or e-LNG, is also possible without technical adaptations. This means that these ships can use and blend more climate-friendly fuels in a timely manner – a prerequisite for TUI Cruises to achieve its climate targets by 2030 and beyond.”

Among the cruise line’s stated ambitions, is to be able to offer the first climate-neutral voyages by 2030, using e-LNG or green methanol.

The challenge in the coming years will be to drive the development, production and distribution of low-emission synthetic fuels forward, according to Damm who added that, similar to air transport, ocean shipping is also highly dependent on new fuels being made marketable and available in an international context.

TUI Cruises’ sustainability strategy lists three pillars: planet, people and progress.

The “planet” pillar focuses on climate protection, energy efficiency and fuel transformation as well as careful use of resources and the protection of marine ecosystems.

“People” focuses on social responsibility, including a program for sustainable shore excursions and independent certification standards to ensure responsible guest experiences at the destinations. Further initiatives are aimed at responsible procurement and supply chain management.

“Progress” means driving sustainable transformation through innovations such as environmental technologies integrated in the newbuilds.