(TAN): Two AIDA cruise ships used shore power to supply energy and reduced emissions to almost zero while the ships were docked at Rostock-Warnemünde port, the cruise company said.
On April 16, AIDA Cruises celebrated the start of this year’s cruise season with the double call of AIDAsol and AIDAmar in Rostock-Warnemünde and a cruise industry first in Germany. For the first time, the firm claimed, two cruise ships were connected simultaneously to a shore power facility in a German port on the same day enabling the ships to reduce emissions and noise by turning-off the engines.
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“We are delighted by this successful shore power premiere in Rostock-Warnemünde. Thanks to the opening of further shore power facilities in European ports, we will be able to expand our commitment this year. Our goal is to be able to use shore power in all ports in the future. We therefore welcome the decisions of other ports to develop a corresponding solution. With our commitment to decarbonization, we are not only driving the energy transition in the cruise sector, we are also providing an example of how to shape local value creation in our destinations sustainably,” said Felix Eichhorn, the president of AIDA Cruises.
As part of its Green Cruising Strategy, AIDA Cruises has been investing in a sustainable cruising for several years, the firm said in a news release. For instance, the company pioneered the use of low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the cruise industry as an important bridging technology. AIDA Cruises is further expanding the use of alternative energy sources such as shore power and the usage of battery systems to operate its cruise ships.
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In addition, it jointly works with various partners to find solutions for the usage of regenerative or synthetic fuels. In July 2022, AIDAprima became the first large-scale cruise ship to use a blend of marine biofuel. As part of the Carnival Corporation family of cruise brands, AIDA Cruises aspires to achieve carbon-neutral ship operation for its fleet by 2050.
