On May 10, 2021, during the 12th German National Maritime Conference, Europe’s largest shore power plant was officially inaugurated with AIDAsol in the presence of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig and Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises.
Establishing a shore power supply for cruise ships in Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, is the result of a joint agreement between AIDA Cruises, the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and Rostock Port signed in September 2018.
“With our green cruising strategy, we have been investing in a sustainable cruise market for many years. The shore power plant in Rostock-Warnemünde is another important step after the facility in Hamburg on our way to an emission-neutral cruise that we want to achieve with our fleet,” says Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises. “I would like to thank the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and all partners involved for the good and trusting cooperation. Together we are sending out an important signal, not just in Germany, but throughout Europe.”
The shore power plant, which was completed in summer 2020, is currently the largest in Europe. With an output of up to 20 megavolt amperes (MVA), two cruise ships can be supplied with electricity at the same time in Warnemünde at berths P7 and P8. In regular passenger operation AIDAsol needs up to 4.5 megawatts per hour (MWh) electricity.
The use of shore power to supply ships with energy is a decisive step for AIDA Cruises to reduce local emissions to zero during berthing, as a cruise ship stays normally in port around 40 percent of its operating time.
As early as 2004, when the order for the construction of AIDAdiva was placed, and for all other ships put into service the following years, the company considered the use of shore power as an option for environmentally friendly ship operation. Since 2017 AIDA Cruises has been using Europe’s first shore power plant in Hamburg-Altona with AIDAsol in regular operation. Currently, ten ships of the AIDA fleet can use shore power, where available, or are technically prepared for it. The aim is to convert all ships built from 2000 onwards accordingly.
In a few days, right before AIDA Cruises starts into the cruise season from Kiel (Germany) on May 22, 2021, AIDAsol will also be the first cruise ship to complete the final tests on the newly built shore power plant there. Its construction is the result of a joint initiative by the state government of Schleswig-Holstein, the city and the port of Kiel and AIDA Cruises. AIDAsol is scheduled to arrive in Kiel on May 13, 2021, in the afternoon.
As part of its Green Cruising strategy, AIDA Cruises has been investing in a sustainable cruise market for many years. Further practical steps on the way to the zero emission ship of the future are already in preparation. AIDAnova will receive the first fuel cell this year. In 2022, the largest battery storage system to date in cruise shipping will go into operation on board an AIDA ship. In addition, the company is already addressing the question of how regenerative fuels can be used on board cruise ships in the future.
Since 2007, AIDA Cruises has been publishing all current information, facts, data and figures on its commitment to sustainability in its annual AIDA Cares sustainability report at www.aida.de/aidacares.
