Exclusive: CLIA chief challenges sustainability misconceptions
CLIA CEO Charles Darr has pushed back against claims the industry is dragging its feet on sustainability, insisting that supply, not intent, is the main barrier to adopting cleaner fuels
Speaking exclusively to Cruise Trade News, Darr said the biggest challenge facing the industry’s decarbonisation goals are centred on the fact that the fuels needed at scale do not yet exist and the technology being driven by cruise lines is advancing faster than the fuels themselves.
“A common misconception is that cruise lines simply choose not to use lower-carbon fuels and continue to rely almost entirely on heavy fuel oil,” he added. “The real barrier is that many of these fuels, such as green methanol, bio-LNG, or synthetic methane, are not yet available in the volumes or at a marketable cost needed to power a global fleet.”
Darr, who took the helm at CLIA seven months ago, highlighted the “tens of billions of dollars” cruise lines are investing in readiness for new ships with multi-fuel engines and associated fuel handling and storage systems, “but the transition ultimately depends on the wider energy ecosystem bringing those fuels to market at scale”, he admitted.
“In the end, I have a lot of confidence that we will get there. Our industry is built on optimism, courage, and commitment to sustainability, with leadership from the cruise lines who are innovators and early adopters of technologies, and we’re not going to stop now.”
Darr’s comments come following the cruise industry’s latest Environmental Technologies and Practices report, which highlighted an increase in the number of ships operating with multi-fuel engines, vessels which can plug in to onshore power, and lines increasing their uptake of alternative fuels and use of other propulsion technologies.
“While virtually all engines using conventional fuels are capable of operating on renewable drop-in fuels and synthetic diesel, cruise lines are also investing in ships with multi-fuel engine technology, which provides the flexibility needed to use zero- and near-zero emission fuels as they become available at scale,” Darr said.
By the end of this year, he continued, 23 ships with fuel-flexible engines are forecast to be in service, including the first cruise ship with tri-fuel capability. Today, more than half of CLIA’s global fleet, representing nearly two thirds of global capacity, can plug into onshore power supply at port.
Another barrier Darr will look to address is the misconception that cruise is a main contributor to over-tourism. “While our industry is thriving, cruise accounts for less than 3 per cent of global tourism,” he said.
“Yet cruise generates significant economic benefits – nearly $170 billion in total economic impact globally – and especially for coastal communities. In addition, cruise tourism is managed tourism, with scheduled arrivals planned years in advance.
“A common misconception is that ‘all cruise ships are enormous’. In reality, the global fleet is diverse, about one-third small, one-third medium, and one-third large, with continued growth in the small and mid-sized segments.”
Darr’s comments come after a new a new public-private initiative by the UK government, CLIA, and the UK Chamber of Shipping was launched in a bid to drive economic growth in coastal regions.
