VIDEO: LNG-powered Silver Nova floated out

Silversea Cruises, part of Royal Caribbean Group, has marked the float out of the new ship Silver Nova, which will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

As informed, the vessel was floated out in Papenburg, Germany, on April 28, 2023. After the water had filled the drydock, tugboats manoeuvred the ship from one of the world’s largest enclosed construction halls into the adjacent harbour, according to the company.

The LNG-fuelled cruise ship is built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft. Unique to the Meyer Werft shipyard, Silver Nova’s next journey, scheduled for the end of May, will entail a conveyance of 32 km (approximately 20 miles) down the narrow Ems River to the sea.

“The float out marks the completion of the first construction phase and we will now focus on installing the ship’s … interiors,” said Roberto Bruzzone, SVP Marine Operations, Silversea Cruises.

“We have reached another important milestone in the construction process with the float out of Silver Nova. This ship is an important step towards green cruising due to its many technological features, as well as high environmental compatibility and energy efficiency. Beyond that, Silver Nova features a particularly innovative interior design,” said Jan Meyer, Managing Director, Meyer Werft.

To remind, Meyer Group has recently presented a cruise ship concept that manages to operate without fossil fuels.

The company showcased “Reverse” concept – a concept that shows what a cruise ship could look like in the year 2100 – at the global cruise trade fair in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The energy concept on board relies on innovation, using of wave energy through horizontal wings on the hull, solar and fuel cells as well as wind energy to manage without fossil fuels.