We're counting down to the 99 days until Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, launches with a brand new blog post every day. Be sure to check back for something new everyday here.
Hybrid scrubbers
Royal Caribbean has been committed to reducing its cruise ships global footprint and laws around the world are requiring cruise ships to be more eco-friendly so Quantum of the Seas will be able to meet both needs.
Onboard Quantum of the Seas are new hybrid scrubbers that were built by Wärtsilä Hamworthy. Quantum of the Seas will be outfitted with two hyrbid scrubber systems.
The choice of scrubbers for Royal Caribbean's new Sunshine class vessels will enable the new ships to travel anywhere in the world, because the scrubbers will be compliant with the 2015 Emission Control Area (ECA) 0.1% sulfur limit, as well as the worldwide 0.5% limit from 2020 and the impending North American ECA, by removing sulfur emissions and harmful particulates from the vessel's exhaust.
Royal Caribbean and Meyer Werft chose this solution not just because it ensures universal compliance with sulfur limits, allowing maximum choice over voyage routes and destinations; it also allows significant flexibility in the operation of the scrubber itself. The hybrid approach allows switching between open-loop and closed-loop scrubbing. This means that at sea, scrubbing using only sea water can be enabled but while maneuvering or in port the system can be closed, re-circulating the water already within the scrubber.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!