To help launch the anniversary of the Port of Hamburg, AIDA Cruises und Becker Marine Systems have announced that they have ordered motors for their LNG Hybrid Barge. This is the companies' starting signal for construction of the floating power station that will enable an environmentally friendly energy supply of cruise ships during layover times in the Port of Hamburg.

"With the LNG Hybrid Barge, AIDA Cruises and Becker Marine Systems have driven forward an advanced concept for the environmentally friendly energy supply of cruise ships. By ordering the motors, we now have the planning phase behind us and are beginning the concrete implementation of the project," says Dirk Lehmann, general manager of Becker Marine Systems. The startup of the LNG Hybrid Barge is currently planned for 2014.

Monika Griefahn, director of environment and society for AIDA Cruises, is convinced that the cruise line is making a particularly 'sustainable' contribution to the anniversary of the port with this year's implementation of the LNG Hybrid Barge: "We want to continue to play a leading role in matters of environmental protection in the cruise ship industry. The reduction of emissions during layover times in port is a challenge for all shipping companies. We have accepted this challenge and, together with our partners, have developed a solution with which we will very substantially reduce the emissions of our ships. In this way, we are making an important contribution to the protection of the climate and environment in Hamburg."

Compared to using conventional marine diesel with a sulfur content of 0.1%, emissions energy supplied by liquid gas on the LNG Hybrid Barge will once again be significantly lowered: the emission of sulfur oxides (SOx) will be completely eliminated. Emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) will be reduced up to around 80%, the emission of carbon dioxide, about another 30%.

The enormous potential for reducing emissions during layover times in port becomes clear when you consider that the AIDA ships spend around 40% of their operating time in port. In the 2013 cruise ship season, the cruise line will make 73 calls just in the Port of Hamburg.

In the future, the LNG Hybrid Barge can be flexibly deployed at each of Hamburg's cruise ship terminals. AIDAsol is expected to be the first ship to dock at the floating power station in the Port of Hamburg. Besides Hamburg, other ports have expressed a fundamental interest in the LNG Hybrid Barge.

Rostock/Hamburg, May 6th, 2013