Celestyal, through Optimum Ship Management, was distinguished in the Industry Partnership Leader Award category, with Celestyal Discovery as the reference point – the first ship in Greek waters to be bunkered with a marine biofuel blend
Celestyal through its operational arm, Optimum Ship Management, has received the Gold Award in the Industry Partnership Leader Award category at the ESG Shipping Awards International 2026, in a highly competitive category that brought together leading companies from the Greek and international maritime community.
The distinction recognizes Celestyal’s pioneering initiative to integrate marine biofuels into its operational practices, marked by the bunkering of Celestyal Discovery at the Port of Lavrio, carried out by Coral Marine Products SA, a member of Motor Oil Group. This milestone made Celestyal Discovery the first vessel in Greek waters to receive a marine biofuel blend.
The awards ceremony took place on 15 May at Asteria Domus, in a prestigious event held under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy and the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, in the presence of institutional representatives, stakeholders and prominent members of the Greek and international maritime community.
The Industry Partnership Leader Award recognizes initiatives that foster meaningful collaboration across the value chain, contribute to the development of industry standards, promote knowledge sharing and create measurable social, economic or environmental benefits. Within this framework, Celestyal was recognized for an initiative that connects technical and operational innovation with collaboration among companies, fuel suppliers, technology partners and crews.
The biofuel blend used onboard Celestyal Discovery is fully compliant with the new ISO 8217:2024 standards and is certified to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 21%. The initiative serves as a practical example of how biofuels can provide an immediately deployable transitional solution for reducing the environmental footprint of shipping, while zero-emission technologies continue to mature at industrial scale.
At fleet level, Celestyal implemented the use of B24 biofuel blend (UCOME) across Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery, with total consumption of approximately 1,550 metric tons over a period of around six months. This corresponds to approximately 371.2 metric tons of pure B100 biodiesel and resulted in an estimated emissions reduction of around 1,200 tCO2e, confirming the measurable environmental value of the initiative.
At the same time, Celestyal is implementing an integrated energy-efficiency and decarbonization approach, with measures including advanced silicon-based hull coatings to reduce hydrodynamic resistance, optimized itinerary and voyage planning, LED systems and Variable Frequency Drives to improve onboard energy performance, as well as plans to install shore power connectivity systems across the fleet by 2028. The combined application of technological, operational and regulatory practices has already contributed to overall emissions savings of approximately 7,600 tCO2e, representing an improvement of around 6% against the company’s planned emissions budget.
Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, VP Technical of Celestyal, said:
“This distinction is particularly meaningful for us, as it recognizes an initiative designed and implemented in real operating conditions, with a measurable environmental outcome. The use of marine biofuels across our fleet represents a practical and immediately applicable step in the energy transition of cruising. The fact that Celestyal Discovery became the first vessel in Greek waters to be bunkered with such a blend demonstrates what can be achieved when technical expertise, collaboration with trusted partners and the experience of our crews work in alignment. This award belongs to everyone who helped bring this initiative from planning into practice. We warmly thank Ms Athoussaki, whose initiative and contribution have helped establish this institution as a point of reference for ESG progress in shipping.”
Helena Athoussaki, Principal Organizer of the ESG Shipping Awards International, said:
“The recognition of Celestyal, through Optimum Ship Management, in the Industry Partnership Leader Award category reflects precisely the purpose of the ESG Shipping Awards International: to highlight initiatives that combine responsible business strategy, collaboration and measurable impact. Shipping’s transition to a more sustainable future requires practical applications of this kind, capable of inspiring the wider industry and creating positive momentum for the next chapter of global shipping.”
The ESG Shipping Awards International are an international institution dedicated to recognizing shipping companies that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. The evaluation process is based on a structured methodology that combines an automated ESG and company profile assessment with the judgment of an independent committee of experts, with the aim of highlighting initiatives that deliver real impact across environmental, social and governance areas.
The distinction at the ESG Shipping Awards International follows Celestyal’s recent receipt of SETE’s “METRON Sustainable Tourism” Verification Mark, making Celestyal the first cruise company in Greece to receive this verification and recording an overall ESG score of 93.33%. Together, these two recognitions reaffirm the company’s consistent commitment to sustainable and responsible cruising, through practices that reduce its environmental footprint, enhance energy efficiency and create value for destinations, partners, its people and Greek tourism.