Sustainable cruise ships made of recycled steel

13 January 2026

French cruise line Ponant Explorations Group will use recycled XCarb thick plate steel from producer ArcelorMittal in the construction of its new expedition cruise ships.

Both companies aim to build Ponant’s hulls entirely with the recycled steel, which is produced in Gijón, Spain, with energy from renewable sources.

One month emission-free

The French shipping company, known for its luxury expedition cruises to the polar regions, among others, is working to make its fleet more sustainable through the Swap2Zero programme. With €40 million from the European Innovation Fund, work is under way to build a cruise ship for 400 passengers, which can run for 30 days on a mix of wind and solar power, RFNBO hydrogen and liquid methane. Equipped inter alia with solid oxide fuel cells and a wind-assisted propulsion system covering 50% of energy needs, the ship will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.

The agreement with ArcelorMittal also stems from Ponant’s sustainability strategy. Both the raw materials and the production of the XCarb steel will be certified by Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. Ponant, together with its international network of shipyards, will actively promote its use.

Hong Kong Convention

The partners also intend to develop a traceability system that will allow steel to be recovered and reused at the end of a ship’s life. This is in line with the Hong Kong International Convention. Those IMO rules for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships have been in force since 26 June 2025.

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