Carnival Marks Completion of Scrubber Installation on 60 Vessels

Carnival has completed the installation and certification of EGC systems on 60 ships across its brands.

Carnival Corporation & plc (Carnival) Monday announced it has completed the installation and certification of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) on 60 ships across its brands - a development said to represent a $400 million investment to date.

"Our Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems represent advanced environmental technology, and underscore our company's strong commitment to responsible sustainability practices," said Mike Kaczmarek, vice president of corporate marine technology at Carnival.

Currently, 17 Carnival Cruise Line vessels, 13 Holland America Line vessels, 10 Princess Cruises vessels, seven Costa Cruises vessels, five AIDA Cruises vessels, four P&O Cruises UK vessels, three Cunard vessels, and one P&O Cruises Australia vessel have all received EGCS installations and certifications.

Carnival says the installation schedule for remaining vessels will be forthcoming.

"Due to the success we have had with improving air quality with our systems, we have expanded our commitment to install and deploy this technology from an original 32 vessels to over 85 through the end of 2020," said Kaczmarek.

"This is part of our ongoing focus on evaluating new technologies, employing new shipbuilding techniques and implementing energy-saving initiatives throughout our fleet to protect the health and vitality of the oceans, seas and communities in which we operate."

Carnival says the sulfur reduction program aligns with other proactive steps taken by the company in order to reduce its carbon footprint, including the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel.

"With the International Maritime Organization, the Cruise Lines Industry Association and various government organizations all calling for improved efficiency in clean operations, we see the installation of exhaust cleaning systems and use of clean fuels as steps to future-proof our fleet," said Kaczmarek, adding: "we are proud to be ahead of the curve in meeting the upcoming regulations and guidelines."

Last month, Carnival announced that, as part of its long-term strategy to employ more efficient vessels, it recently launched Seabourn Encore - the first of three new ships set to enter service in 2017 across three of Carnival's 10 global cruise brands.