Virgin Voyages Partners With Sustainability Providers

Incorporating sustainability into their cruise vacation is a priority for Virgin Voyages and today, the cruise line announced a new partnership with Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) along with three waste-based fuel providers, Argent Energy, Good Fuels, and Twelve, to deliver low-carbon fuels to the marine industry.

“In order to significantly reduce our carbon footprint further, we must transition to lower-carbon fuel sources as soon as possible. We could do this today with our existing engines if more sustainable ‘drop-in’ fuels were available in our ports of call. Unfortunately, these fuels are not yet widely available, and in most cases, are not cost competitive. We want to work with partners to pioneer for the essential change,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages.

The goal of the three waste-based sustainable fuel providers is to help Virgin Voyages reach net zero by 2050. To do this, Virgin Voyages has taken steps to advance a low-carbon future by partnering with sustainable marine fuel companies. By adding drop-in sustainable fuels, Virgin will reduce emissions and its life-cycle carbon emissions from 75% or more.

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 “This partnership with Virgin Voyages signifies the cruise industry’s willingness and readiness to structurally decarbonize its operations. We applaud Virgin Voyages for recognizing sustainable marine biofuel (SMF) as the only viable alternative to fossil fuels — and the only available solution to effectively decarbonize shipping today,” said Nikolas Nikolaidis, Commercial Manager at GoodFuels.

Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, states, “Virgin will always aim to be a leader in the industries we operate in. We aspire to make the cruise industry better in many ways including through climate action. I’m proud that Virgin Voyages will be working with industry partners and others to shape the future of more sustainable cruise travel and to bring about a real sea change for all.”

Are you excited to see the initiatives Virgin Voyages has for the future of sustainability? Let us know in the comments!

Julie Bouchner is the Digital Editorial Manager for Porthole Cruise and Travel. She has a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Syracuse University. When she is not writing, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family, baking, and playing with her Siberian Husky named Ellie.