AIDA Cruises announced today that Europe's largest cruise ship power plant was officially opened with one of its ships, the AIDAsol, in the presence of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier, Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Manuela Schwesig and AIDA Cruises Chairman Felix Eichhorn during the 12th German National Maritime Conference.
The establishment of an onshore power supply for cruise ships in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, is the result of a joint agreement between AIDA Cruises, the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and the Port of Rostock signed in September 2018.
“With our green cruise strategy, we have been investing in a sustainable cruise market for many years,” said Eichhorn of AIDA. “The onshore power plant in Rostock-Warnemünde is another important step on our path toward carbon-neutral cruising, which we aim to achieve with our entire fleet. I would like to thank the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and all the partners involved for their collaboration. Together, we are sending an important signal, not only in Germany, but throughout Europe.”.
The coastal power station, completed in the summer of 2020, is currently the largest in Europe. With a capacity of up to 20 megavolt-amperes (MVA), it can supply electricity to two cruise ships simultaneously at Warnemünde, at berths P7 and P8.
Using shore power to supply ships is a crucial step for AIDA Cruises in reducing local emissions to zero while in port, as a cruise ship typically spends around 40% of its operating time in port. Back in 2004, when the order was placed for the AIDAdiva, and for all subsequent ships commissioned in later years, the company considered shore power as an environmentally friendly operating option.
Since 2017, AIDA Cruises has been using Europe's first onshore power plant in Hamburg-Altona with the AIDAsol. Currently, 10 ships in the AIDA fleet can use onshore power when it is available or when they are technically equipped to do so. The goal is to convert all ships built from 2000 onwards.
With the start of AIDA Cruises' cruise season from Kiel, Germany, on May 22, the AIDAsol will also be the first cruise ship to complete final testing of the newly constructed onshore power plant there. Its construction is the result of a joint initiative between the Schleswig-Holstein state government, the city and port of Kiel, and AIDA Cruises. The AIDAsol is scheduled to arrive in Kiel on the afternoon of May 13.
As part of its green cruising strategy, AIDA Cruises has been investing in sustainable cruise operations for many years. Further practical steps are already underway toward the zero-emission ship of the future. In 2022, the largest battery storage system to date in the cruise industry will be installed on board an AIDA ship. Furthermore, the company is already exploring how regenerative fuels can be used on board cruise ships in the future.
