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Royal visit to the LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg

King Willem-Alexanderand Queen Máxima inform themselves about the world's first project to supplycruise ships with environmentally friendly energy in ports using LNG<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Attendinga conference on the use of liquefied natural gas in maritime industry, on March20, 2015, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima paid avisit to the world's first LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg.

TheDutch royal couple informed themselves first-hand about the innovative andenvironmentally friendly technology and was enthusiastic about it.

“We'redelighted to welcome such noble guests and we appreciate the Dutch royalcouple's interest in this in this project, which is the first of its kind inthe world,” Michael Ungerer, President of AIDA Cruises, says. “The Netherlandshave become a trailblazer in the use of LNG for supplying ships with energy. Weare 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 sofar – will be supplied with LNG for its production of energy for the first timein the Netherlands.”

The world’s first LNG hybrid barge of Becker Marine Systemswas christened with the name “Hummel” on October 18, 2014, in HafenCityHamburg.

With the start of the new cruise season in the spring of2015, AIDAsol will for the first time be supplied with electricity producedfrom liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a test run while it is berthed in the Portof Hamburg.

Thanksto the use liquefied natural gas in the energy production of ships, emissionsand particle discharge will be significantly reduced. Compared to the use ofconventional marine diesel with 0.1 percent sulfur content, no sulfur oxidesand no soot particles are emitted. Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced byup to 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.

Withthe LNG Hybrid Barge, up to now a worldwide unique pilot project to generatepower on board cruise ships out of LNG while being docked in port, BeckerMarine Systems and AIDA Cruises are setting an example for environmental andclimate protection.

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