Methanol-ready engines going to cruise ship

Wärtsilä will supply methanol-ready engines for Celebrity Cruises’ fifth vessel in the company’s Edge Series.

Wärtsilä said the methanol-ready engines, which are scheduled to for delivery in 2025, will give the new ship unmatched fuel flexibility.  Wärtsilä will convert two Wärtsilä 46F engines to allow them to utilize methanol as fuel, marking the first-ever such conversion for this engine type. The engines will also be capable of operating with two other conventional fuel types. The conversion project not only promotes lower carbon cruising, but by adding methanol as a fuel option, emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter are significantly reduced, the company said.

Wärtsilä said its methanol engines offer a route to maritime decarbonisation. (Image: Wärtsilä)

“With the launch of our Edge Series of ships in 2018, we set ambitious sustainability goals to make these ships the most energy efficient large vessels at sea,” said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. “Working collaboratively with our expert partners, we have continued to develop new technologies and achieve breakthroughs with each subsequent ship.”

Wärtsilä has invested heavily into researching viable future carbon-neutral fuels for the marine industry, and methanol has emerged as one of the most promising candidates, said Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä.

“This will be the second methanol-fuelled engine conversion that we have undertaken, and the first with the Wärtsilä 46F engine,” Agnevall said. “We share a commitment to decarbonize shipping, and the transparent partnership between our three companies for this newbuild project represents an important milestone along the path to achieving this goal.” 

Celebrity Cruises said the incorporation of methanol-ready engines represents the company’s next step towards achieving Destinations Net Zero, its vision for net zero emissions by 2050.

The full Wärtsilä scope includes two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines capable of operating with methanol as fuel, two 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines, and one Wärtsilä 32 engine. Wärtsilä will convert the 46F engines to run on methanol at the yard, prior to commissioning.