A new kind of terminal is arriving in Galveston, Texas. Royal Caribbean Cruises has announced that it will open a port terminal in November that utilizes solar technology for a zero-energy infrastructure.
The $125 million project will bring a brand new 161,000 square-foot tamarind to expand the cruise’s presence in the port. It will be the first in Texas to generate 100 percent of its energy through on-site solar panels, as well as the first to achieve LEED Gold certification. The new structure, the company claims, will allow the cruise liner to accommodate over 600,000 guests annually.
Royal Caribbean said the new terminal was created to align with the company’s sustainability goals and decarbonization strategy, which it has dubbed Destination Net Zero. The plan consists of different points of action, including the use of infrastructure materials that produce less carbon, creating solar panels for energy self-sufficiency and implementing strategies to reduce light pollution. Guests to the port, as well as staff members, will also use bicycle facilities with electric charging stations for transportation around the community.
The company’s Destination Net Zero strategy was unveiled last October. As part of the plan, the brand has committed to meeting a number of sustainability-focused milestones, the most ambitious of which is delivering a net-zero cruise ship by 2035. Other projects under the initiative include the Silversea Cruises’ “Project Evolution,” which aims to launch the industry’s first hybrid-powered ship in the summer of 2023.
“We are focused on innovating across all aspects of our company, especially in our work to advance sustainability in the communities we visit,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, in a press release. “We deeply value both the oceans we sail and the communities we visit and operate in and the modern design and development features at our terminal in Galveston will work in service of both.”
The Galveston terminal is the cruise line’s fourth LEED-certified facility, including Terminal A at Port Miami, its Innovative Lab in the city, and the port in Springfield, Oregon. The opening will also mark the first time the city welcomes the cruise’s Oasis class ships for easy arrival and departure for guests traveling from Texas.
