Royal visit to the LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg
King Willem-Alexander
and Queen Máxima inform themselves about the world's first project to supply
cruise ships with environmentally friendly energy in ports using LNG
Attending
a conference on the use of liquefied natural gas in maritime industry, on March
20, 2015, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima paid a
visit to the world's first LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg.
The
Dutch royal couple informed themselves first-hand about the innovative and
environmentally friendly technology and was enthusiastic about it.
“We're
delighted to welcome such noble guests and we appreciate the Dutch royal
couple's interest in this in this project, which is the first of its kind in
the world,” Michael Ungerer, President of AIDA Cruises, says. “The Netherlands
have become a trailblazer in the use of LNG for supplying ships with energy. We
are confident that we will celebrate a premiere in early 2016 in Rotterdam,
when AIDAprima – as the only cruise ship equipped with a Dual Fuel Engine so
far – will be supplied with LNG for its production of energy for the first time
in the Netherlands.”
The world’s first LNG hybrid barge of Becker Marine Systems
was christened with the name “Hummel” on October 18, 2014, in HafenCity
Hamburg.
With the start of the new cruise season in the spring of
2015, AIDAsol will for the first time be supplied with electricity produced
from liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a test run while it is berthed in the Port
of Hamburg.
Thanks
to the use liquefied natural gas in the energy production of ships, emissions
and particle discharge will be significantly reduced. Compared to the use of
conventional marine diesel with 0.1 percent sulfur content, no sulfur oxides
and no soot particles are emitted. Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by
up to 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.
With
the LNG Hybrid Barge, up to now a worldwide unique pilot project to generate
power on board cruise ships out of LNG while being docked in port, Becker
Marine Systems and AIDA Cruises are setting an example for environmental and
climate protection.
