Royal Caribbean Group, the vacation cruise provider, has completed more than 12 consecutive weeks of biofuel testing in Europe, according to a news release.
In Barcelona, Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas became the first ship in the maritime industry to successfully test and use a biofuel blend to meet part of her fuel needs.
The company confirmed onboard technical systems met operational standards, without quality or safety concerns, demonstrating the biofuel blend is a reliable “drop in” supply of lower emission energy that ships can use to set sail.
The company began testing biofuels last year and expanded the trail this summer in Europe to two additional ships. The biofuel blends tested were produced by purifying renewable raw materials like waste oils and fats and combining them with fuel oil.
The biofuel blends tested are accredited by International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), which verifies reductions of fuel emissions, the release states.