Meyer Turku Cuts Cruise Ship Lifecycle Emissions By Over 90% With AVATAR Project

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has completed the development of a net-zero cruise ship concept under its AVATAR project, achieving more than a 90 per cent reduction in lifecycle carbon emissions compared to the baseline defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The concept was created as part of NEcOLEAP, a four-year research and development programme co-funded by Business Finland.

The programme brought together a wide network of maritime and technology experts to work on practical solutions for reducing emissions in future cruise ships.

According to the company, the vessel includes only those technologies that are expected to be available and technically viable by around 2030.

Early-stage or highly experimental technologies were deliberately left out of the final design. Despite this, the emissions reduction target was achieved with a substantial margin.

Company officials stated that no single measure can deliver net-zero performance on its own.

The head of product development at Meyer Turku explained that simply changing fuel would not be enough and that the concept depends on several complementary solutions working together.

Engineers used a dynamic energy simulation model, described as a digital twin, to study how different design choices would affect the ship’s entire energy system.

This allowed them to measure the impact of structural changes and onboard systems before construction.

The design features a more streamlined and lightweight structure compared to conventional cruise ships.

Improvements in onboard systems also play an important role. For example, more energy-efficient air-handling units are expected to reduce heating and cooling power demand on cabin decks by approximately 50 per cent.

Bio-methanol has been selected as the primary fuel for the concept vessel. The design also includes wind-assisted propulsion technology and solar panels.

In addition, the use of sustainable materials and better space optimisation contributes to lowering the ship’s total lifecycle emissions.

Meyer Turku stated that the AVATAR concept was reviewed by independent third parties.

References: cruiseindustrynews, cruisemapper

Source: Maritime Shipping News