It’s another first for Norwegian.
In conjunction with its Eco-Smart Cruising program, Norwegian Cruise Line has successfully retrofitted the Norwegian Jewel with a new exhaust gas scrubber, aimed at significantly reducing air emissions and the ship’s environmental footprint.
Jewel’s new lightweight, in-line scrubbers are a hybrid technology developed by Yara Marine Technologies. Five scrubbers were installed, one per engine, covering the entire propulsion system. Collectively, they are capable of reducing the emission of sulfur to air up to 99 percent and also reduce 85 percent particulate emission to the air.
A two-year project, Norwegian Jewel’s retrofitting began in spring 2014 and required more than 100,000 man hours. The scrubbers incorporate a state-of-the-art water membranes filtration unit. The by-product is collected and removed in drums.
“Norwegian is firmly dedicated to upholding the highest standards of excellence in environmental protection practices, as well as leading the industry in seeking out technology that makes our ships not only an enjoyable vacation experience, but also ensures that we continuously protect the environment that our guests love to explore,” said Robin Lindsay, Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
As part of Eco-Smart Cruising, Norwegian’s Safety and Environmental Protection Policy establishes several objectives relating to the environment, which include reducing the impact of its operations on the environment, disposing garbage and waste materials in accordance with national and international rules and regulations, recycling and re-using materials and establishing specific objectives and targets for continual improvement of environmental management programs.
Norwegian Cruise Line is on track to meet its MARPOL Annex VI compliance goal of reducing its global sulfur cap from 3.5 percent to 0.5 percent by 2020. Jewel’s sister ships, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem, will complete their scrubber commissioning within the coming weeks with Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Sun scheduled for retrofitting in the first and second quarters of 2017.
