First bio-LNG supply of Mein Schiff Relax

TUI Cruises expands the use of alternative fuels in cruising

With the first bio-LNG bunkering of Mein Schiff Relax in the Port of Barcelona, TUI Cruises is further expanding its use of alternative fuels, supporting its long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of July, Mein Schiff Relax, the newest member of the fleet and the first ship in the new InTUItion class, was supplied with 1,875 m³ of bio-LNG for the first time as part of a ship-to-ship bunkering operation via barge.

“By bunkering Mein Schiff Relax with bio-LNG, we are using an alternative fuel that enables lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil LNG,” says Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises. “We are consistently pursuing the path to decarbonisation and see alternative fuels as a key lever in achieving our climate goals.”

Bunkering was carried out by the Haugesund Knutsen barge from Knutsen Scale Gas, chartered by Shell. The biofuel comes from the Enagás regasification plant in the Port of Barcelona, where it was produced and certified entirely in line with the criteria of ISCC EU certification, and supplied directly for bunkering on site, avoiding additional transport routes.

Bio-LNG (liquefied biomethane) is a renewable fuel based on biomethane. Compared with fossil fuels, its use results in lower greenhouse gas emissions. As bio-LNG is chemically identical to fossil LNG, it can be used in the existing dual-fuel engines of Mein Schiff Relax without any technical modifications.

All new additions to the Mein Schiff fleet are equipped with dual-fuel engines and are technically designed to run on lower-emission fuels such as bio-LNG. Mein Schiff 7, which entered service last year, is also already prepared for the future use of renewably produced methanol. “This technological flexibility is crucial for us, because: “Our aim is to use alternative fuel options as soon as they are available in sufficient quantities and can make a proven contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” explains Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises.

The first ship-to-ship bio-LNG bunkering of Mein Schiff Relax in the Port of Barcelona also marks an important milestone in the implementation of TUI Cruises’ climate protection roadmap, which is based on four key levers:

1. Alternative fuels such as bio-LNG and, in future, methanol from renewable energy sources

2. Shore power from renewable energy sources, already in use at many ports today

3. Continuous improvement of energy efficiency through technical measures such as route optimisation, digital performance tools, hull coatings and cleaning systems

4. Optimised itinerary planning to reduce energy consumption

To reduce its environmental footprint, the company is also embracing a wide range of additional sustainability measures, including eliminating around 5 million plastic cocktail sticks each year. Placed end to end, that would span a distance of around 400 kilometres, roughly the same as the circumference of the island of Mallorca. Skipping 10 million drinking straws each year also adds up to around 2,918 kilometres, the distance between Bremerhaven and Reykjavik. These measures complement TUI Cruises’ climate roadmap and help to reduce resource consumption and waste volumes.