Together with partners from research, science and industry, AIDA Cruises is developing innovative solutions and using technologies with the aim of putting the first zero-emission ship into service as early as 2030.
By 2040, AIDA Cruises wants its fleet to be emission-neutrally on course. The emissions reduction path of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) envisages a reduction in CO2 emissions in maritime shipping of at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008.
With its Green Cruising Strategy, the company is demonstrating how it has been addressing the global challenges of climate change for many years.
Key milestones at a glance:
- 2004: Already with the order for AIDAdiva and for all further newbuildings, the use of shore power has been taken into account.
- 2011: Order placement for the world’s first ships that can be supplied with low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) or shore powerwhile in port.
- 2016: Commissioning of AIDAprima: In addition to the option of LNG supply while in port, the ship also has a shore power connection and an exhaust gas cleaning system.
- 2017: A premiere in Hamburg: AIDAsol is the first cruise ship to use Europe’s first shore power facility.
- 2018: A world premiere: The commissioning of AIDAnova, the first cruise ship running on low-emission LNG. In 2019, the ship was awarded the “Blue Angel”, the German federal government’s ecolabel. The use of LNG is a bridging technology for AIDA Cruises. Together with various partners from industry and science, the company has already beenworking on solutions for CO2-free production of liquefied natural gas.
- 2019:Ten ships in the AIDA fleet are able to use shore power or are technically prepared to do so. More ships will follow.
- 2021: Thanks to the initiative of AIDA Cruises, shore power facilities are opened in Kiel and Rostock. Fuel cells are used for the first time on board AIDAnova. The commissioning of AIDAcosma, AIDA’s second LNG cruise ship.
- 2022: The largest battery storage system in the cruise industry is installed on an AIDA ship.
As part of its Green Cruising strategy, AIDA Cruises is not only investing in state-of-the-art environmental technology for its newbuilds but is also working hard to find technical solutions for the ships in its existing fleet.
For example, the question is whether it will be possible to retrofit such efficient fuel cells on a ship in the near future that could supply a large part of the energy requirements, e.g. for hotel operations. Or how waste can be recycled as valuable materials for on-board energy generation, and much more.
The careful use of resources is another elementary pillar of AIDA Cruises' commitment to sustainability. The goal is, for example, to reduce food waste per person on board by 30 percent by the end of 2022 compared to 2019. The number of single-use plastic items has already been reduced by 50 percent to date compared to 2018. By the end of 2022, AIDA already intends a saving of 75 percent compared to 2018.
The company publishes further information, facts and figures at www.aida.de/aidacares.
