We just finished posting a three-part interview with Captain Jeroen van Donselaar, master of Eurodam. The captain sent us a photo and some information about what he’s been up to on his current vacation. Well, it doesn’t really sound much like a vacation. As you might recall from the interview, the captain likes to keep busy with home-improvement projects in his time ashore. Here is his account of what he has been up to lately:

My wife Pam and I recently bought a new home on Long Island, New York. While on vacation we have been enjoying many home projects. One of these projects has been “going more green” by installing an electric solar system on our roof. We feel it is vital to take action now and leave a less of carbon footprint by using renewable energy such as solar power.

Other green efforts we have been doing are planting more trees in our yard, using only compact fluorescent bulbs, recycling as much household waste as we can, and using one large recyclable bag for all of our groceries to avoid using the small plastic bags given at the supermarket.

The photo-voltaic system installed consists of 20 panels. Each is rated at 200 watts and is expected to generate approximately $1,000 worth of electricity a year. All depending on the weather of course!

The system is hooked up to the grid, this enables us to literally sell back electricity to the Long Island Power Authority in case we generate more than we use. It is great to see the meter spin backwards. I have also hooked up the system to the Web so I can log in via the Internet from the ship and check on electric production.

Whether on vacation or at home, everyone’s small contributions can make a big difference!

With environmental concerns taking center stage in recent years and the move toward being more green on the rise, Holland America Line is taking a look at various operations on board that offer more environmentally friendly solutions.

One such area is that of garment dry cleaning, which involves a variety of solvents and chemicals that require strict handling and disposal guidelines governed by international laws. The solution? Change the cleaning system.

Eurodam will be outfitted with an environmentally friendly system called wet cleaning from Canadian supplier Solvent Free Solutions, using detergents manufactured by Winning Brands Corp. The alternative to traditional on-board dry cleaning is already being used on eight other Holland America Line vessels.

The Solvent Free Solutions team designs and installs systems that permit garments labeled “dry clean only‚” to be cleaned instead using Smart Wet Cleaning Liquids, plain water and special Wet Cleaning machines. The systems provide a safer, environmentally responsible alternative to old-fashioned perchlorethylene-based dry cleaning systems.

Eurodam is being outfitted with an advanced wastewater treatment system built by Hamworthy Group of the United Kingdom that will be capable of treating both black water (sewage) and gray water (from sinks, showers, laundry and galleys) to near drinking water quality.

We checked in with Jeen Bakker, manager of technical operations for Holland America Line, to find out how it works.

According to Bakker, the system uses membrane bioreactor technology in conjunction with filtration technology. Following an initial filtering process that removes most solids, the effluent is pumped into a biomass chamber where micro-organisms set to work breaking down organic solids into water and carbon dioxide. The system can treat more than 900 cubic meters of effluent per day.

Hamworthy’s system has been installed on Regent Seven Seas and Princess Cruises vessels. Bakker said it is similar to advanced wastewater treatment systems installed on other Holland America vessels, but “the setup of the system is different.”

The Hamworthy system is designed to exceed the highest standards in the maritime industry. Those standards, known as Code of Federal Regulations Title 30 Part 133, were set by the U.S. legislature to cover the discharge of treated water in U.S. inland waters like, for instance, Alaska. Federal cruise ship legislation Section 1404 (commonly called the “Murkowski regulations” after Alaska’s former governor), and the Alaskan State House Bill 260 also apply.

To give you an idea of how tight those regulations are, we can compare them with those set by the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organization. USCG allows 150 milligrams/liter of solids in treated discharge effluent, and IMO allows 50 mg/liter. The Murkowski regulations allow only 30 milligrams, and Hamworthy’s system brings that down to 7 mg. While USCG regulations for fecal coliform bacteria allow 250 organisms per 100 milliliters of effluent, and IMO allows 200, the federal regulations allow only 20, but Hamworthy comes in at just three organisms per 100 ml. In addition, the Murkowski regulations also set low levels for chlorine content and pH balance, which neither the IMO or USCG rules address.