Silver Ray sets a ‘milestone on the road to carbon-neutral cruising,’ according to the companies
Meyer Werft has started production of cruise ship Silver Ray for Silversea Cruises, hosting a steel cutting ceremony in Papenburg.
Like its sister ship Silver Nova, which is already under construction, Silver Ray sets “new standards in sustainable travel and ultra-luxury cruising with a host of innovations”, according to a statement by Meyer Werft. Silver Nova will enter service in August 2023, with Silver Ray following in summer 2024.
"Like Silver Nova, Silver Ray, with her innovative propulsion concept and other significant technical innovations, represents a milestone on the road to carbon-neutral cruising. I am sure that both ships will delight their passengers from day one," said Meyer Werft managing director Jan Meyer.
“We are very proud to have held the steel cutting ceremony for Silver Ray at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, marking an important milestone in the construction of one of the industry’s most environmentally conscious ships,” said Silversea Cruises president and CEO Roberto Martinoli.
“The second vessel in our pioneering Nova class, Silver Ray – and her sister ship, Silver Nova – will strengthen our leadership in ultra-luxury cruising, introducing advancements in engineering that support our mission to showcase the world to our guests, and to do so mindfully, respectfully, and in unprecedented comfort.”
The new ship will deploy a fuel concept with low-emission LNG, a fuel cell system for the hotel operation and batteries. A statement said that the newbuilding exceeds the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) by 25%.
The fuel cell system with an output of four megawatts will complement the LNG engines as the “first large-scale installation of its kind in the cruise industry”, supplying the ship with enough electricity to power the entire hotel operation. This eliminates pollutant emissions while the ship is in port.
In addition, a battery system increases the overall efficiency of the ship by absorbing peak loads, thus significantly reducing fuel consumption. A newly developed Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) converts waste on board into thermal energy in line with the circular economy, further increasing the vessel’s efficiency.
For the first time at Silversea, Nova-class ships will feature a horizontal layout and asymmetrical design, with public spaces and suites spannin the length of the ship.
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