AIDA President Felix Eichhorn welcomes Dieter Janecek on AIDAnova in Hamburg
From 2024, all AIDA ships that set off from German ports on cruises to the North and Baltic Seas will be able to be supplied with shore power during their laytime.
On December 22, 2023, AIDA President Felix Eichhorn welcomed Dieter Janecek, the Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Economy and Tourism, and Dirk Inger, the Managing Director of the German Travel Association DRV, on board the cruise ship AIDAnova at Hamburg's Steinwerder Cruise Center.
The discussions focused on the development of the cruise industry, AIDA Cruises' sustainability strategy, and the measures the company is taking to achieve its climate goals. An important topic is the use of shore power.
"Together with our partners here in Hamburg, but also in many other European ports, we are committed to sustainable cruise tourism. We are pleased that, thanks to the newly built facility in Hamburg Steinwerder, we will be able to use shore power for the first time in German ports with all AIDA ships in 2024. By using this technology, we are actively supporting the EU goals of building a shore power infrastructure by 2030," said AIDA President Felix Eichhorn.
Dieter Janecek, Federal Government Coordinator for Maritime Economy and Tourism: "xxx
With 116 calls by seven ships in the AIDA fleet, AIDA Cruises will once again be by far the leading cruise company in the Port of Hamburg in 2024. 63 further calls are planned in Kiel and 69 in Rostock-Warnemünde. Both ports are providing the necessary shore power infrastructure since 2021.
AIDA Cruises is also supporting further ports as a pilot partner for the commissioning of their shore power systems in other European countries, e.g. most recently in Arhus, Denmark, and in Valletta, Malta. The company welcomes the plans of other countries in the North and Baltic Sea regions as well as the Mediterranean region to develop a corresponding service.
As part of its strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, AIDA Cruises has been investing in a future-proof and sustainable cruise market for many years. In addition to the use of renewable shore power and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an important bridging technology, AIDA Cruises is trialing the use of alternative energy sources such as biofuel or batteries to operate its cruise ships.
Other topics discussed during the visit included how AIDA is working toward greater energy efficiency, resource conservation and a circular economy. A variety of innovative solutions are used on board all AIDA cruise ships, for example in the areas of air conditioning, heat and energy recovery, lighting and water management. All recyclable materials are segregated on board, 100% prepared for recycling on shore and delivered exclusively to certified disposal companies in ports. In order to save energy and therefore fuel, consumption data is constantly analyzed and the ships' itineraries and hydrodynamics are optimized. To conserve freshwater resources ashore, all AIDA ships use state-of-the-art reverse osmosis plants to produce freshwater from seawater.
Together with various partners, the cruise company is working intensively on further solutions for using regenerative and synthetic fuels. As part of the Carnival Corporation & plc family of cruise lines, AIDA Cruises is pursuing net zero emissions by 2050.
