The Costa Smeralda has arrived in Barcelona for its first refueling. The company's new flagship is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), an innovation in the cruise industry in which the Costa Group is positioning itself as a pioneer, and which will significantly reduce its environmental impact.
The use of LNG represents a significant step towards responsible innovation and environmental protection. The elimination of sulfur dioxide emissions (zero emissions) and the reduction of particulate matter by 95-100% guarantee improved air quality. This fuel also reduces nitrogen oxide emissions (by 85%) and CO2 emissions( by up to 20%).
Barcelona is the first port to welcome the Costa Smeralda after its departure from the Meyer shipyard in Turku, where it was built. To celebrate the arrival of the latest addition to the cruise line's fleet, a plaque exchange ceremony took place. During its stop in Barcelona, the ship was refueled with LNG, and several local media outlets and travel agents had the opportunity to visit it.
The new ship's first itinerary will depart from Savona on December 21 and arrive in Barcelona on December 23 as part of a week-long cruise, which will also stop in Marseille, Palma, Civitavecchia and La Spezia.
The Costa Smeralda is the first Costa Cruises ship to be powered by LNG, both in port and at sea. The new vessel is part of an expansion plan in which the Costa Group has invested more than €6 billion and which will see the addition of seven new ships by 2023. Five of these ships – including the Costa Smeralda and its sister ship currently under construction, the Costa Toscana – will be powered by LNG, thus contributing to mitigating the environmental impact of the entire fleet.
The new generation of ships will be key to achieving the goal set by the Costa Group: to reduce CO2 emissionsfrom its fleet by 40% by 2020, ten years ahead of the target set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
“Thanks to the Costa Smeralda, the use of LNG is becoming increasingly common in the cruise industry. The Costa Group was the first to embrace this new technology and invest in the construction of five new LNG-powered ships, reinforcing its leading position in sustainable tourism. We are acting responsibly and charting a new course that represents a turning point: LNG guarantees a significant reduction in environmental impact without sacrificing safety, which is a top priority for us. We are delighted that Barcelona is the first port to welcome the Costa Smeralda, as this city has long been our home and will play an important role in the development of LNG technology for our ships,” said Neil Palombra, CEO of Costa Cruises. “The Costa Smeralda is also an innovative product that maintains the essence of Italian hospitality that defines us and appeals to all types of cruise passengers.”
Barcelona will be a key port for the development of LNG technology in the cruise industry, and three Costa Group ships powered by this low-emission fuel will regularly visit the city. The Costa Smeralda will make around 100 calls until the end of 2021 as part of its week-long Western Mediterranean itinerary. Starting in 2021, the Costa Toscana will also visit Barcelona weekly. Similarly, the AIDAnova already made weekly calls in the city during 2019 and is confirmed to continue doing so in 2020. Furthermore, all three ships will refuel with liquefied natural gas in Barcelona.
The Costa Smeralda will also increase the economic impact generated by Costa in Barcelona and Spain. According to a recent study by Deloitte & Touche, the University of Genoa, and the University of Hamburg, Costa Group guests spend an average of €74.60 per person in each of the European ports visited by the company's ships. Costa Group generated an economic impact of €1.1 billion in Spain, contributing to the creation of more than 6,400 full-time jobs. Also noteworthy is the number of Spanish suppliers and partners with whom the company collaborates—more than 300—as well as the volume of passenger traffic recorded in Spain: 3.4 million.
In the case of Barcelona, the economic impact amounted to 239 million euros and the number of jobs generated to 1,700. In 2018, Costa Group's main investment was allocated to the construction of Helix Cruise Center, a terminal prepared to receive the latest generation of LNG-powered ships.
Costa Smeralda is a true smart city that surpasses all environmental requirements. In addition to the groundbreaking innovation of liquefied natural gas propulsion, Costa Smeralda also boasts cutting-edge technological advancements aimed at reducing its environmental impact. The ship's daily water needs are obtained directly from the sea thanks to its desalination systems. Energy consumption is also minimized through the use of an intelligent energy efficiency system, which includes next-generation elevators that recover the energy they consume and feed it back into the electrical grid.
In recent years, Costa Cruises has eliminated the use of single-use plastics in the vast majority of its catering services and replaced them with alternative materials, a policy it continues to implement to stay ahead of the objectives of the European Directive.
Thanks to new initiatives implemented on board the Costa Smeralda, which will be progressively rolled out across the rest of the fleet by 2020, Costa aims to reduce onboard plastic consumption by more than 50 tons per year. One hundred percent of the waste collected and recycled materials, including plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum, will be used for circular economy projects.
On board the Costa Smeralda, food will also play a fundamental role, as the company will continue implementing 4GOODFOOD, a comprehensive program aimed at reducing food waste and recovering prepared but unserved food for charitable causes. In addition, the ship will feature the innovative "Taste Lab" restaurant, which, through an entertaining approach, engages guests in the importance of food sustainability.
With over 180,000 gross tons and more than 2,600 cabins, the Costa Smeralda is the result of a unique creative project led by Adam D. Tihany, designed to immerse passengers in the best of Italy in a single space. Tihany collaborated with an international group of four prestigious architectural firms responsible for designing different areas of the ship – Dordoni Architetti, Rockwell Group, Jeffrey Beers International, and Partner Ship Design. All the furnishings, lighting, fabrics, and accessories were produced in Italy, both the standard items and those designed specifically for the new ship by 15 partners representing Italian excellence.
Italian design will also take center stage at CoDe – Costa Design Museum, the first museum aboard a cruise ship. This extraordinary setting also features the Solemnio Spa, several entertainment areas – including the “Colosseum” with state-of-the-art screens – themed bars thanks to collaborations with leading Italian brands, 16 restaurants and “dining experience” areas, and even a new restaurant for families with children.
Costa Smeralda will also offer “Adagio Tours,” a unique project in the sector born from the collaboration between Costa Cruises, AISM (Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association), and the Costa Crociere Foundation. These group excursions take visitors along the itinerary at a slower pace, making them more suitable for people with mobility limitations, parents with strollers, and seniors.
With the arrival of the new Costa Smeralda, the Costa Group now has a total of 29 operational ships , reinforcing the company's leadership in Europe and China.
