In a notable step towards achieving carbon-neutral cruising, TUI's vessel Mein Schiff 4 achieved a significant milestone by integrating sustainable biofuel into its operations, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions.
During her recent northern voyage, Mein Schiff 4 became the first ship in the fleet to test eco-friendly biofuel, blending it with marine diesel at a ratio of about 30%. The results were promising, demonstrating reduced emissions and bringing the company closer to its climate-neutral cruise goals. The utilized 2nd generation biofuel is entirely plant-based and mainly sourced from cooking oil residues. This clean fuel has low sulfur oxide content and, in its pure form, can substantially decrease CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fossil fuels.
Departing from homeport Kiel Germany, the ship set a course toward Norway's Spitsbergen Island and Geirangerfjord, including the captivating Sunnylvsfjord. Schiff 4 also plans to utilize green shore power in Alesund and Bergen.
This biofuel test run on Schiff 4 plays a crucial role in TUI's ambitious 2030 sustainability strategy. By 2030, TUI aims to achieve an impressive 27.5% reduction in absolute CO2 emissions compared to 2019 levels. Notably, TUI's climate targets have been thoroughly assessed and validated by the esteemed Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
As a pioneer in rigorous climate protection goals, TUI stands as the first cruise company globally to undertake such closely monitored and absolute targets. To accomplish these objectives, the company will implement various measures, including adopting shore power, using clean fuels, enhancing energy efficiency through eco-friendly underwater silicone coatings, employing "slow steaming" to reduce average speed, and implementing other sustainability initiatives.
Lucienne Damm, Head of Sustainability at TUI Cruises, stresses the significance of the successful biofuel test phase on Schiff 4, expressing that the biofuels can be used directly in the ship's engines without costly conversion or conversion measures. This showed once again that they were not only investing in more sustainable cruises with their newbuilds such as Schiff 7 and the 8th ship but were also making every adjustment to the existing fleet to become better and even more climate-friendly. With such determined efforts, TUI Cruises sets a commendable example for the cruise industry's transition toward a greener and more responsible future.