A few weeks after announcing the creation of its decarbonization department, the Costa Group has taken an important step in its decarbonization strategy by announcing that it will begin testing the use of biofuel on board one of AIDA Cruises' ships.
As part of its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, on July 21, 2022, the AIDAprima became the first large-scale cruise ship to use a marine biofuel blend, manufactured from 100% sustainable raw materials such as used cooking oil and marine gas oil (MGO), during its stop in Rotterdam. The partner is the pioneering Dutch biofuels company GoodFuels. The AIDAprima currently operates seven-day cruises to Western European metropolises and Norway, departing from and returning to Hamburg.
“The current project represents an important milestone in the Costa Group’s decarbonization strategy, which includes testing technologies and processes to improve the efficiency of the current fleet.”.
The successful introduction of biofuels will demonstrate that gradual decarbonization is possible even for ships already in service. However, a key requirement for the use of biofuels is their widespread availability at an industrial scale and at marketable prices.
In addition to the use of biofuels, the Group's efforts also include the installation of the first fuel cell on board the AIDAnova and the commissioning of what is currently the largest battery storage system in cruise shipping, with a capacity of ten megawatt-hours on board the AIDAprima. Furthermore, the Costa Group is focusing on expanding and increasing the use of onshore energy in ports where the necessary infrastructure is available.
With these short, medium and long term measures, the Costa Group actively contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal decarbonization objectives.
Over the years, the Costa Group has led sustainable innovation for the entire industry by consistently introducing, as a first in the sector, new advanced technologies on board its ships and in new buildings.
The company was the first to introduce LNG propulsion—the most advanced fuel technology available for reducing emissions—with four vessels already in service in the Costa Group fleet. Furthermore, most of the fleet's vessels are equipped with shore power capabilities to achieve zero emissions while in port, where this technology is available.
