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NORWAY is one of the world’s most famous cruise destinations. This Scandinavian country has the longest coastline in Europe with beautiful views of the sea and islands. Norwegian fjords, such as Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. Many tourists take cruises there to see the stunning fjord from the water.
However, in 2026, cruise ships using diesel fuel will be banned from entering Norwegian waters. The Norwegian government wants to reduce pollution caused by diesel fuel emitted from cruise ships. Norwegian shipping traffic has experienced tremendous growth. 2023 is set to be a record year for cruise ship traffic in Norway, with an estimated 4.9 million passengers.
At the same time, the shipping industry has a large environmental impact because most of it still uses diesel fuel. According to the West Norwegian Research Institute, quoted from Business Norway, cruise ships in Norway consume around 170 million liters of fuel per year, which accounts for almost 3 percent of the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the fuel is burned at sea, but around 20 percent or nearly 34 million liters is burned while the ship is in port.
The Government’s new zero emissions policy is likely to cause major problems for the shipping industry. Shipping companies must now replace diesel fuel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) to reduce pollution.
Several cruise ships such as MSC, Euribia, already use LNG. Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Icon of the Seas, which launched in January will also be powered by LNG.
The cruise ship industry remains controversial. Many popular destinations around the world have restricted cruise ship arrivals to their ports. Cruise ships were banned from entering Amsterdam city center last year. It’s not just pollution, but also overtourism which is considered to disturb the comfort of city residents.
Barcelona is also closing one of its central cruise ship ports by the end of 2023. The Spanish city was named the world’s most polluted by cruise ship emissions in a study released last year. [sources/photo special]
