Keel laid for LNG and fuel-cell powered cruise ship Silver Ray

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has held a keel-laying ceremony for eco-friendly cruise ship Silver Ray for Silversea Cruises.

As informed, the ceremony took place at the shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, on 23 March. The keel laying marks the start of a ship’s assembly.

The second ship in Silversea’s pioneering Nova class, Silver Ray is expected to enter service in the summer of 2024, joining its sister ship, Silver Nova, as one of the most sustainable ships in the class.

“Anticipation is building for the introduction of our pioneering Nova class ships, with Silver Nova set to join the fleet this summer. In addition to being two of the most sustainable cruise ships ever launched, the Nova class ships will introduce an asymmetrical design and a horizontal layout for the first time in our cruise line’s history, as well as all-new public venues that are among the most spacious at sea,” said Barbara Muckermann, President and CEO, Silversea Cruises.

“Silver Nova and Silver Ray represent important milestones on Royal Caribbean Group’s journey to achieving a net zero newbuild, and I thank the entire team at MEYER WERFT, as well as those involved at Royal Caribbean Group and Silversea, for their invaluable collaboration.”

“The Nova class will set new standards on the way to net zero emissions cruising. We are therefore delighted to take another symbolic step in the construction of Silver Ray today with the keel laying. I am sure that the ultra-luxury ship will be able to meet the high demands of her guests and will inspire them with her innovative design,” said Jan Meyer, Managing Director of Meyer Werft.

To remind, the steel-cutting ceremony for the vessel took place in November last year.

The Nova-class ship will be fitted with dual-fuel LNG engines complemented with a fuel cell system with an output of 4 megawatts. The cruise vessel already exceeds the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) by 25 percent, according to the shipyard.

The fuel cells and a battery system will supply the ship with enough electricity to power the entire hotel operation, enabling the cruise vessel to eliminate pollutant emissions while the ship is in port.