Turku, September 13, 2017 – Today, following the steel-cutting ceremony at the Meyer shipyard in Turku, Finland, construction of the Costa Smeralda. The new Costa Cruises ship will be the group's first powered by Liquefied Natural Gas(LNG), as well as the first cruise ship in the world targeting multi-market travelers in Europe.
The construction of the Costa Smeralda is part of the strategic plan of Carnival Corporation & plc – the world's largest cruise company with 10 brands, including Costa Cruises – which, starting in the fall of 2018, includes the addition of seven LNG-powered ships to a fleet that currently comprises 103 vessels. It will be at that time that the company's German subsidiary, AIDA Cruises, will add the AIDAnova to its offerings, primarily targeting the German market.
The Costa Smeralda, which will begin operations in October 2019, will exceed 180,000 gross registered tons and will have more than 2,600 cabins for a total of approximately 6,600 passengers. A second ship, a sister ship to the Costa Smeralda, will be delivered by the Meyer shipyard in Turku in 2021.
Costa Cruises' two newest ships will be powered by LNG, the world's cleanest fossil fuel, both in port and at sea. The liquefied natural gas will be stored on board in special tanks and used to generate 100% of the energy required for navigation and onboard services, made possible by their dual-fuel hybrid engines. The use of LNG is a major innovation in terms of environmental impact, as it will result in a significant reduction in exhaust emissions , particularly sulfur (SO2), nitrogen (NO2), CO2, and particulate matter.
“These ships will reinforce Costa Group’s leadership, which is already a leader in the most important markets on the European continent,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “The multi-billion-dollar contract with Meyer, which also includes the construction of two new LNG-powered ships for our German brand, AIDA Cruises, demonstrates our strategy of continuous innovation in our vacation offerings, providing our customers with an unparalleled cruise experience.”
“The two new Costa Cruises ships represent a major global innovation and introduce new standards for the entire industry,” added Neil Palomba, CEO of Costa Crociere SpA. “These two vessels will be among the first LNG-powered ships and will encourage the development of this green technology, especially in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, they will be the first LNG-powered ships in the world to be marketed to consumers in multiple countries, including Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. The new ships will also offer unique services and feature state-of-the-art interior design, perfectly embodying our ‘Best of Italy’ concept, the Costa Cruises brand’s main distinguishing feature worldwide, offering guests complete immersion in Italian culture.”
“Over the past two years, we have developed a very close collaboration with our client in terms of design, and the result is a fresh approach combined with the latest technology. We are delighted to contribute our expertise in building LNG-powered passenger ships. Today is a very special day for shipbuilding as all the ideas, creativity, technology, and unique design that have been applied to the new Costa ships are finally becoming a reality,” said Jan Meyer, CEO of Meyer Turku.
Costa Smeralda will offer cruises in the Western Mediterranean, which will be available for purchase in the first months of 2018. The Liquefied Natural Gas supplier will be Shell Western LNG BV (Shell), as the company announced last year.
Costa's two LNG-powered ships – like the two from AIDA Cruises – are part of a multi-billion dollar contract signed with the two Meyer shipyards in Turku, Finland, and Papenburg, Germany. The Meyer contract stems from the previously announced, broader memorandum of understanding signed between Carnival Corporation, the parent company of the Costa Group, and the leading shipyards Meyer Werft, Meyer Turku, and Fincantieri SpA for the construction of nine ships between 2019 and 2022.
