The Catalan facility is presenting its commitment to sustainability in Miami and its aim to attract the most advanced ships in terms of energy and environment
The first cruise ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will begin arriving at the Port of Barcelona this year. This was announced today by the president of the Catalan port, Mercè Conesa, during a press conference held at Seatrade Cruise Global, the world's leading cruise industry trade show, which runs until the 11th in Miami. The Aida Nova will be the first ship to operate on this alternative fuel, and it will make its maiden voyage this April.<A[escalera|escala]> in the Catalan capital, a city it will continue to visit throughout the season. The second will be the Costa Smeralda, which will arrive next October.
“We have developed several initiatives to promote the use of natural gas as an alternative fuel for mobility in order to effectively reduce polluting emissions from ships. This is one of the key areas we are working on to attract the most modern and, therefore, most environmentally advanced ships to Barcelona,” explained Conesa, who noted that 58% of the cruise ships that dock at the Catalan port are less than 10 years old.
As highlighted at this year's Seatrade Cruise Global, the cruise industry is embracing LNG as an alternative fuel, given its 80% reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 40% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and its complete elimination of sulfur oxides and particulate matter. In fact, in addition to the three cruise ships already operating on LNG, a total of 20 more vessels worldwide are under construction or on order at shipyards, scheduled to enter service between 2020 and 2026.
Review of a record year of activity
In 2018, the Port of Barcelona received 830 cruise ship calls with 3 million passengers, a new all-time record for the facility. “It's worth highlighting the growth in two types of cruise passengers: those who are homeport passengers (those who begin and end their journey in Barcelona), which increased by 16%, and those who arrive during the off-season, which increased by 17%,” Conesa noted.
The former make the greatest economic contribution to the city and its surroundings, according to a study by the University of Barcelona on the economic impact of cruise ships at the Port of Barcelona. Specifically, cruise passengers based in the city who stay overnight spend an average of €230 per day and, despite representing only 8% of holidaymakers in the Catalan capital, account for 20% of total spending.
Last year's results also demonstrate the progress made in reducing the seasonality of cruise activity. "In 2018, one in three cruise passengers who visited Barcelona did so during the off-season," the Port's president emphasized.
Twelve first stops in 2019
The still-provisional figures for the first quarter of the year indicate that the Port of Barcelona will consolidate the positive results achieved in the same period of 2018, with approximately 300,000 cruise passengers. Regarding the annual forecast for 2019, the Port of Barcelona expects to receive a total of 838 cruise ship calls and exceed 3 million passengers. “Furthermore, 12 cruise ships will call at our port for the first time, 8 of which are state-of-the-art vessels that have recently entered service or will do so in the coming months,” Mercè Conesa highlighted.
These ships are the Viking Jupiter, MSC Bellissima, Mein Schiff 2, Spectrum of the Seas, AidaNova, Le Bougainville, Celebrity Edge, Spirit of Discovery, Nieuw Statendam, Sky Princess, Costa Smeralda, and MSC Grandiosa. These new port calls demonstrate the continued loyalty of major cruise operators to the Port of Barcelona, as they choose it to be home to the most modern ships in their fleets.
Furthermore, the Catalan port continues to develop the 'Barcelona model' of collaboration between public administrations, the private sector, local stakeholders, and the airport to advance the sustainable management of cruise activity in the city. Thus, in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the Port has created a working group to optimize and diversify the mobility of cruise passengers visiting the city on a transit basis (one-day stopover). This initiative—which complements actions aimed at promoting off-season tourism and homeport operations—aims to help alleviate congestion in the city's busiest areas during the peak season.
Modernization of facilities to enhance the home port
Since spring 2018, the Port of Barcelona has had a new cruise terminal, built and managed by Carnival Corporation: Helix Cruise Center. With 12,500 square meters of surface area, it is one of the largest cruise terminals in Europe, designed with high standards of efficiency, sustainability, and functionality.
The Port of Barcelona is currently processing two applications related to port activity. Firstly, MSC has requested a concession for a space within the Adossat Wharf expansion—currently under construction—to build its own cruise terminal. Secondly, Royal Caribbean has requested a concession for the existing Terminal C—also located on the Adossat Wharf—to carry out a complete renovation and create a new cruise terminal for the company's ships.
The modernization and expansion of the cruise facilities is linked to the Port of Barcelona's strategy to enhance home port operations and offer greater quality and comfort to users of the facility.
The Port of Barcelona delegation participating this year in the 35th edition of the Seatrade Cruise Global trade fair includes President Mercè Conesa; Head of Cruises, Mar Pérez; Deputy Director General of Strategy and Sales, Santiago Garcia-Milà; and Director of Communication and Institutional Relations, Núria Burguera, among other executives. Seatrade Cruise Global, the world's leading cruise industry event, features 754 exhibitors and expects to receive more than 11,000 trade visitors.
