Michele Witthaus finds out how ambitious partnerships with two of the world’s largest cruise companies are enhancing the Port of Galveston’s capacity to ensure a sustainable passenger shipping future.
As a Green Marine-certified port since 2021, the Galveston Wharves and its partners are making progress in realising long-term changes to protect the environment, says Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO.
The voluntary Green Marine environmental programme for North America’s maritime industry is helping the port staff to identify and implement best practices, manage environmental initiatives, measure progress and strive for continuous improvement.
“Cleaner energy sources and air quality initiatives are just two examples,” says Mr Rees. Green Marine’s environmental programmes are guiding the port as it plans for cruise growth. In November, we will open our third cruise terminal. In 2023, we are forecasting a record year with 360 cruise ships and more than 1 million passengers.”
New terminal
As 2022 draws to a close, a major investment by the Port of Galveston in the new terminal, together with Royal Caribbean International, will come to fruition, bringing brand new facilities to Pier 10 at Galveston Wharves.
Work started in summer 2021 on the US$125 million project, a collaboration between Galveston Wharves, Royal Caribbean International and Ceres Terminal Holdings. The new facilities are designed to provide customised home port facilities for the cruise brand’s Oasis-class ship, Allure of the Seas, with the 161,300-square-foot terminal occupying 10 acres on the east side of the port.
Sustainability is at the heart of the new infrastructure. In line with the requirements of the port’s Green Marine certification, Royal Caribbean has designed the new terminal to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards.
“We view a new terminal as an opportunity to future proof our operations,” says a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International. “As a result, we have spent a considerable time designing our new facility in Galveston to be LEED certified, in fact, it will be the first LEED Gold certified cruise terminal in Texas. Building any new cruise terminal comes with its challenges, that’s why we pursued LEED as the recognised leader in sustainable building standards. The facility was designed from concept to operation with sustainability in mind.”
The inaugural sailing of Allure of the Seas from the expanded facilities at the port is set for November 13 and will coincide with the opening of Terminal 10.
LNG bunkering
One year down the line, in November 2023, the Port of Galveston will see the completion of significant modifications to existing berthing facilities for another cruise industry giant and its mega ships. The planned upgrades will enable Carnival Cruise Line to provide LNG bunkering for Carnival Jubilee, the line’s third ship to run on an LNG technology platform.
The move to ready the port for LNG bunkering for this purpose follows the port’s announcement in August 2021 that it would partner with energy transition services provider Stabilis to provide turnkey LNG fuelling solutions to vessels at the port. The LNG facilities resulting from this collaboration will also serve many other vessels calling at Galveston in future.
“Enhancing Carnival’s port facilities in Galveston is a key part of our plan to operate Carnival Jubilee there and accommodate the new technologies and processes needed to bunker a ship powered by LNG,” says a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson. “Carnival introduced the first LNG-powered ship in North America when it debuted Mardi Gras in Port Canaveral last year, and Carnival Jubilee will be the first LNG-powered ship to homeport in Galveston.
“Galveston is an important port for us, and among our busiest. Extending the use of LNG technology to the Port of Galveston and homeporting one of our new and innovative Excel-class ships there underscores our commitment to the Galveston community.”
The Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular cruise home port in the US and only cruise port in Texas. The Galveston Wharves is a self-sustaining city entity, whose mission is to generate and reinvest port revenues to benefit the Galveston community with economic growth, jobs and sales tax revenues.
Greener fuels and fuelling opportunities are crucial to the environmental ambitions of the port, says Mr Rees. “As liquified natural gas (LNG) continues to gain traction globally as a commercial marine fuel, the Port of Galveston and the community will reap environmental and economic benefits,” says Mr Rees. “Fuelling more ships with safe, clean-burning LNG improves air quality. Providing LNG fuelling services will create more jobs and ship calls for our port.”
The newly built Carnival Jubilee is scheduled to call Galveston home beginning in November 2023. Now under construction at Meyer Werft in Germany, the ship will have a capacity of 5,374 passengers and 1,735 crew. It is the company’s third Excel-class vessel.
“The Port of Galveston is proud to be a leader in homeporting an LNG-fuelled cruise ship. It will be the port’s first LNG-fuelled cruise ship, which aligns with our environmental initiatives,” says Mr Rees. “By using LNG fuel, sulphur emissions are reduced by nearly 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 85 percent. This is a huge step toward a greener future for the cruise industry.”
Future proofing
Shore power is integral to the new facilities, providing another opportunity to reduce air emissions, says Mr Rees. “We have aligned with cruise and energy partners to explore the potential of connecting docked ships to shore-side electricity. Docked ships are typically powered by diesel auxiliary engines, which produce air emissions. As a Green Marine-certified port, we recognise shore power as an opportunity to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases associated with maritime activities.”
The scale of investment the Port of Galveston is making in future cruise growth and sustainability is considerable. The port budgeted US$20 million for an internal roadway, utilities, sustainable landscaping and cruise parking for the new terminal. The port and Royal Caribbean International shared the US$15 million cost for Pier 10 improvements, including berthing and mooring structures.
To support the investments at its cruise terminals, the port is improving local and regional links to make both inbound and outbound travel more environmentally friendly. Mr Rees explains: “We are building an interior roadway to accommodate cruise and cargo traffic and relieve traffic congestion and idling time on Harborside Drive, the main access road to the port and historic downtown Galveston.
“We are also employing technologies to reduce travel and idling times for the hundreds of thousands of cruise-related vehicles at the port each year. Navigation apps with real-time data updates, texts with current travel conditions, and automated license plate readers will contribute to a better cruise experience.”
In addition, the port partners with community and business stakeholders to promote shared environmental goals. There are plans to install 28 electric vehicle charging stations at five of its cruise parking lots in 2023. The stations are funded in part by a US$35,000 Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program grant through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Community engagement in sustainability initiatives is also encouraged. “In September more than 30 volunteers with the Galveston Wharves and Ceres Terminals Galveston picked up litter and debris at Stewart Beach,” says Mr Rees. “Ceres Terminals, in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, will operate the new cruise terminal opening in November. The clean-up was one way the port and Ceres, both Green Marine-certified entities, demonstrate their commitments to environmental stewardship.”
Earlier this year the Galveston Wharves was awarded a US$5,000 grant from Clean Galveston to sustainably landscape the port’s new Royal Caribbean cruise terminal with native plantings. “This project has many benefits,” remarks Mr Rees. “It’s good for the environment, it advances our Green Marine environmental programme, it promotes sustainable landscaping, and will inform cruise terminal visitors about the beauty and benefits of native plants. Landscaping with native plants that are resistant to drought and pests also aligns with the cruise terminal’s sustainability objectives.”
