On March 31, 2025, the first onshore power plant for cruise ships was officially inaugurated in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The AIDAnova became the first ship to successfully receive shore power during its stay in port. With this commissioning, AIDA Cruises can now utilize shore power in 13 European ports across seven countries. In Rotterdam alone, 31 additional port calls are scheduled this year, during which AIDA ships will be able to refuel with shore power.
Dirk Inger, SVP of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at AIDA Cruises, stated: “Together with our local partners, we have made Rotterdam a popular year-round destination for our guests. Therefore, we are pleased to be able to shut down the main engines of our AIDA ships and use shore power during our calls here. The new shore power plant is another step for everyone in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
He added:“Twenty years ago, we began considering the use of shore power to reduce emissions from ship operations. In 2017, AIDA was the first cruise line in Europe to use shore power. We look forward to supporting other ports as pilot partners in bringing their facilities online in the coming months.”
In 2024 alone, AIDA used onshore power for 360 port calls, a fivefold increase compared to 2023. By 2025, more than 500 European port calls using onshore power are planned. The new facility in Rotterdam expands the reach of this technology in Northern Europe. This year, AIDA ships will be able to use onshore power for almost half of their calls in the region, thus contributing to the maritime energy transition in the shipping sector.
AIDA Cruises actively participated as a pilot partner in the technical preparations prior to the opening, making its ships available for various tests. The company contributed its experience gained over years of using shore power in other European ports, such as Hamburg, Kiel, Warnemünde, Bergen, Southampton, Aarhus, Oslo, and Stockholm.
Since 2004, AIDA Cruises has considered the use of onshore power in the construction of its ships. In 2017, the AIDAsol became the first cruise ship to operate regularly using onshore power from the first such facility in Europe, located in Hamburg-Altona. Following Rotterdam, other ports such as Copenhagen and Le Havre plan to implement their own systems soon, with the active support of AIDA Cruises.
AIDA Cruises has been investing in a more sustainable cruise market for years. In addition to using onshore energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transitional technology, the company is expanding its use of alternative energy sources to operate its ships.
The company aims to achieve net-zero emissions in its fleet operations by 2050.
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