Yards
New Cruise Ship Costa Toscana Was Built For Sustainable Sailing
In December 2021, the brand new cruise ship Costa Toscana was delivered after completion to Costa Cruises, the Italian cruise line brand for Carnival Corporation. Built by Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the ship was designed and constructed to be one of the most environmentally-friendly cruise ships in the world.
The Costa Toscana is one of the world’s
biggest ocean liners, with a tonnage of
185,000 GT. She is the cruise line’s second
and Turku shipyard’s third ship to be powered
by LNG fuel (liquefied natural gas).
The first metal sheet cutting took
place in July 2019 and its hull assembly
began in February 2020. The float-out ceremony
of the Costa Toscana was held at
the Meyer Turku in January of 2021.
”The Costa Toscana is equipped with
dual-fuel engines. Their primary fuel is LNG
but they can also be powered by diesel
oil,” says Mr. Tapani Mylly, Head of Communication
and Sustainability at Meyer
Turku shipyard.
The cruise ship has four main engines
that produce 61,760 kW of power. She
operates with two Azipod motors for a service
speed of 17 knots, with four thrusters
yielding increased maneuverability.
”This ship has the very latest LNG system
of the best possible variety. Apart from
that, she also has many other features
designed to minimise the ship’s environmental
impact. They include heat-recovery
technology, intelligent lighting, plus other
systems for optimising energy-efficiency,”
Mylly recounts.
Energy-Efficient Technology
In a statement from the ship’s owner
Costa Cruises, the sustainability of LNG
fuel is emphasised. The cruise line regards
the selection of LNG as one further step
towards zero-emission ships, already
reducing sulphur dioxide emissions and
most of the other particular-matter emissions
as well as nitrogen oxides and CO2.
According to Mr. Mylly, a number of
similar design features were already integrated
into Costa Toscana’s sister ship, the
Costa Smeralda, also built by Meyer Turku and completed two years earlier – then the
fifth-largest cruise ship in the world. The
ships share a common platform and technical
specifications with some customization
of the passenger areas.
”Both of these ships also largely utilise
the same types of environmentallyfriendly
technologies. Such features have
been refined a lot over the years. Energyefficient
techniques have been given plenty
of emphasis in the design of Costa’s
latest cruise ships,” Mylly points out.
Energy-efficiency has been enhanced
by the hull design, as well as by intelligent
automation. Design refinements have
been made by aid of simulation, experimentation,
and thorough testing, to minimise
the ship’s environmental impact. The
end result is a floating ”smart city.”
The special desalination plants on
board will process seawater directly and
meet the ship’s daily water supply requirements.
Furthermore, a 100 percent separate
collection and recycling of such materials as plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum
will be carried out on board, as part of an
integrated approach aimed at supporting
circular-economy projects.
All in all, the sustainable design features
of the Costa Toscana will make it one
of the most environmentally friendly cruise
ships in the world.
Entertainment Guaranteed
The ship’s hull assembly began at Turku
shipyard in February 2020. The onset of
the global Covid-19 pandemic presented
a number of challenges throughout the
shipbuilding project.
”Still, we proved that the shipyard
can operate even in difficult times. As
it happened, the shipbuilding was completed
right on schedule,” Mylly rejoices.
Now that the ship has been delivered,
the first passengers will board the
ship in March 2022.
”The ship’s interior design is aimed
to please the travellers. In addition, the
interior’s colour scheme is in a league of
its own.”
The interior design of the ship was
created as a tribute to Tuscany by designer
Adam Tihany who oversaw the project
working with the four participating design
firms.
”Special features include 21 restaurants
– with emphasis on Italian and Tuscan
culinary art – and an indoor pool area,
complete with water-slides and four swimming-
pools,” notes Mylly.
In addition, the ship will offer premium
sports facilities, entertainment, and
spa treatments. An entertainment venue amidships is spread over three levels for
concerts and shows, featuring large-sized
LED screens on the dome and walls.
The ship’s furnishings, lighting, fabrics,
and accessories are all made in Italy
and have been specially designed for the
Costa Toscana by 15 different companies.
The cruise ship’s length is 337 metres
and width 42 metres. She is able to accommodate
6,730 passengers – in more than
2,660 cabins – plus 1,646 crew members.
Some of the cabins are equipped with outdoor
balconies.
”The project was carried out in a
rapid and professional manner. We can
be proud of our shipbuilders.”
The Costa Toscana is scheduled to
enter service on 5th March 2022, sailing
weekly cruises from Savona, Italy. After the
first one-week cruise to Marseille, Barcelona,
Valencia, Palermo and Rome, the ship
will remain in the western Mediterranean
for round-the-year cruising operations.
by: Ari Mononen
photos: Meyer Turku
