Content Section

AIDA Cruises starts LNG operation in Mediterranean ports

In its latest sustainability report, AIDA cares, the companydocuments further progress / reduction of CO2 emissions per personon board by 4.35 percent in 2016

Followingthe first successful tests, AIDA Cruises begins gradually over the coming weekswith the regular operations for supplying AIDAperla with low-emission liquefiednatural gas (LNG) while docked at the ports of Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France)and Civitavecchia (Italy). The company is also currently in discussion withauthorities in Palma de Mallorca (Spain).

Onaverage a cruise ship spends 40 percent of its operating time in while dockedin port. Thanks to the use of a dual-fuel engine, AIDAperla can produce thepower she requires while docked in port from liquefied natural gas. LNG issupplied at ports by an LNG truck.

Withthe use of liquefied natural gas to supply onboard power, the emission of nitrogenoxides is reduced by up to 80 percent, carbon dioxide emissions are cut by afurther 20 percent. Particulate matter and sulfur oxides are almost entirelyeliminated – an important contribution to improving air quality in some of themost important cruise ports of the Western Mediterranean.

Thecruise company already tested the practical application of this innovativetechnology back in early 2016 with AIDAperla's twin ship, AIDAprima. On May 7,2016, following her christening in Hamburg, the world's first LNG operation ofa cruise ship was effected. Shortly after that, operations were also possiblein the ports of Southampton (UK), Le Havre (France), Zeebrugge (Belgium) andRotterdam (Netherlands). The cruise ship ended her Northern Europe season inmid-November 2017 after 18 months. In AIDAprima's current cruise region, aroundthe Canaries and Madeira, AIDA Cruises is working with local partners toorganize the ship's LNG supply in Funchal (Madeira, Portugal).

Fromfall 2018 AIDA Cruises will be taking the next step: with the commissioning ofAIDAnova, the cruise company will be able to operate its new generation ofships entirely with LNG – both in port and at sea. A second, twin ship willreinforce the AIDA fleet from early 2021.

Apartfrom reducing emissions, increasing efficiency is a key criterion forenvironmentally-friendly ship operation. In the current edition of thesustainability report, AIDA cares, the company documents further progress that wasachieved in 2016. For instance, thanks to a vast array of measures, it has beenpossible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per person on board by 4.35 percentin year-on-year comparison. During the same period, water and energy consumptionper person on board were cut by approximately 3.2 percent and approximately 1.8percent respectively.

AIDACruises has published all the current information, data, facts and figuresrelating to its environmental commitment in its latest sustainability report,AIDA cares 2017, which is available at www.aida.de/aidacares.

Rostock, November 24, 2017

Kaleidoscope powered