Carnival Corporation  today announced plans to expand the program for installation of Air Lubrication Systems (ALS) to a majority of the cruise line brands in its fleet through 2027, which is expected to generate significant savings in fuel consumption and carbon emissions by reducing hull drag by approximately 5% per ship.

According to a press release, Carnival Corporation is currently installing the Silverstream System ALS on five total ships, including two ships in 2022 for its Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises (UK) brands. In addition, the company is planning at least 10 more installations for existing and newbuild ships across more than half of its cruise line brands, and it expects continued expansion of the ALS program over time.

The expansion plans build on the success of four systems currently operating on ships from its AIDA Cruises and Princess Cruises brands.

ALS technology, which first saw service within the Carnival Corporation fleet in 2016 with the introduction of AIDAprima, generates a cushion of air bubbles to lubricate the flat bottom of a ship’s hull, reducing friction between the ship and surrounding water, resulting in savings in energy and fuel consumption across a wide speed range.

“The installation of air lubrication technology is another example of our ongoing efforts to drive energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and emissions throughout our fleet,” said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation. “We look forward to expanding the ALS program and furthering our long-term sustainability strategy to continually invest in a broad range of energy reduction initiatives, which has included over $350 million invested in energy efficiency improvements since 2016.”