VIKING’S revolutionary new expedition vessels (CW 17 Jan) will not be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) because the company’s Chairman, Torstein Hagen, believes there are significant environmental issues associated with the fuel. Hagen discussed the issue in Los Angeles last Thu after unveiling the groundbreaking Viking expedition fleet (pictured),...
VIKING’S revolutionary new expedition vessels (CW 17 Jan) will not be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) because the company’s Chairman, Torstein Hagen, believes there are significant environmental issues associated with the fuel.
Hagen discussed the issue in Los Angeles last Thu after unveiling the groundbreaking Viking expedition fleet (pictured), saying that originally the company had planned that the two new ships would have LNG propulsion.
“But since then we’ve looked at the science, and we believe there are big problems with LNG.
“LNG is another word for methane, a greenhouse gas.
“It’s 30 to 80 times as damaging as CO2, and that’s something nobody has talked about,” he said.
Hagen said there was also often incomplete combustion when LNG is used in an engine.
“And then some goes straight into the sky…when you add up all the emissions it is worse than any of the other fuels.”
Hagen’s comments fly in the face of a number of other cruise lines which are actively touting their environmental credentials as they commission and launch new LNG-powered ships.
But he insisted that Viking had looked closely at the science.
“It’s a fact, like it or not, so we came to the conclusion it would be ridiculous to follow everyone else and not do what the scientific facts dictate.”
Hagen also decried claims made by competitors about hybrid battery-powered ships.
“They can operate for just 30 minutes on battery, and claim they save 20% on fuel? It’s just propaganda.”
