Impact of ship building and ship scrapping?

[new_cruiser]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that 3 small ships were recently re-engined and updated. The Windstar Star ships were all built between 1988 and 1990. As part of the operation, each ship was stretched adding 50 cabins so they went from 212 double occupancy to 312 double occupancy - still pretty small in today's cruise industry. All the bathrooms in the original cabins were replaced. 

 

Work started on the first ship before the pandemic and completed on all ships during the pandemic. 

 

https://www.windstarcruises.com/starplus/

[shipgeeks]

Re small ships of mainstream cruise lines: Baltimore is an example of a port that can only handle Vision class RC ships (the smallest class, just a bit over 2,000 pax), due to the bridge clearances in the Chesapeake.  Both RC and Carnival have ships home-ported in Baltimore year-round, and are sold out for every cruise, with many repeat passengers. NCL will also have a small ship in Baltimore for occasional sailings.

At a recent Q&A with the Captain on Vision of the Seas (an older, as well as smaller, ship), he said the ship still has many years of service ahead of her, and RC is committed to the Port of Baltimore for the indefinite future.  I suspect there will be a continuing market for smaller, mainstream/non-luxury cruises in this area for many years.

 

[JRG]

On 7/15/2023 at 11:37 AM, SelectSys said:

It's just a matter of time before this gets discussed by policy makers.  The net effect of these mandates will almost certainly make cruising more expensive.

 

Interestingly, the Koreans are looking at nuclear powered ships again.

https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/South-Korean-partnership-to-develop-SMR-powered-

 

Thanks for the link.  I didn't read this a few days ago but it is certainly pertinent to this thread,  I need to think about this before commenting because I can't believe what I am reading but this is what they said,  quote unquote:

 

Nuclear power is the best energy source for responding to climate change and realizing carbon neutrality because there is no carbon emission during electricity production," said North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo. "We will lead the nuclear power renaissance and build a global innovative nuclear power industrial ecosystem centered on the Pan-East Sea

 

Are there any maritime experts who have discussed this here on cc before,  or is the emerging technology that we just didn't know about?    

[TheOldBear]

I recall seeing a proposal [sometime in the 1990's] in the USNI Proceedings magazine about a 'pebble bed' reactor design sized to match a LM2500 gas turbine module. 

These gas turbine modules are used by Navy warships - and also the QM2 and a few MSC ships.

The 'pebble bed' reactor replaces the combustor section with a gas cooled reactor. The 'pebbles' contain the reactive elements [and much of the gamma & beta radiation] while allowing the neutrons to continue the chain reaction.  

[Heidi13]

On 7/17/2023 at 8:01 AM, SelectSys said:

i would expect that in the US or Europe the power delivered from land is likely almost always "cleaner" than the power from the ships.  Our own local utility reports that 55% of the energy delivered over the year is renewable.  My gut suggest that the power delivered to cruise ships while that are in port is even higher than that due to so much solar being sited in CA.

https://www.sdge.com/more-information/environment/americas-best-energy-company#:~:text=We deliver 55% renewable energy,highest in California and America.

 

 

It certainly is cleaner from shore in the Port of Vancouver, as our power is 98% renewable.

[SelectSys]

 

10 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

It certainly is cleaner from shore in the Port of Vancouver, as our power is 98% renewable.

 

You are lucky that BC still allows the creation of dams.  CA would do much better if we had the ability to create large scale hydro projects in the Sierra Nevada and other state mountain ranges. Our state government is so silly that it doesn't even view large hydro projects as being renewable. 

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2020/08/reclassify-hydropower-now-as-renewable-energy/

[Heidi13]

3 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

 

 

You are lucky that BC still allows the creation of dams.  CA would do much better if we had the ability to create large scale hydro projects in the Sierra Nevada and other state mountain ranges. Our state government is so silly that it doesn't even view large hydro projects as being renewable. 

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2020/08/reclassify-hydropower-now-as-renewable-energy/

 

The new dam coming online in 2025 will most likely be our last. They are now looking at alternative renewable resources, as with population growth, increased usage for heating and electric vehicles and export, they figure the new dams capacity will be used by 2028.

 

I believe we sell a fair amount of power to you in CA.

[SelectSys]

7 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

I believe we sell a fair amount of power to you in CA.

Everyone sells a lot of energy to CA.  30% of the power in the state comes from other jurisdictions.    Most Californians have no idea how much our power system depends on generation outside the state, 

 

https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/energy-almanac/california-electricity-data/2021-total-system-electric-generation#:~:text=Electricity imports account for approximately,western states and Canadian provinces.