AIDA Cruises, Port of Hamburg ink LTA to support sustainability

Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and AIDA Cruises have signed a long-term agreement (LTA) to strengthen Hamburg as a cruise location.

Under the agreement, AIDA underscored its commitment to the Hanseatic city and guaranteed ship and passenger volumes for another five years. The cruise company and the city laid the foundation for sustainable development in Hamburg seven years ago, when Europe’s first shore-side power plant went into operation at the Cruise Center Altona.

“We were the first cruise line to start using shore power in Europe. Since 2017 until today, AIDAsol has been regularly purchasing shore power year after year during her calls at Altona. As a long-standing partner of the Port of Hamburg, we are happy to support the Hamburg Port Authority with our experience and expertise in both the shore- and ship-side integration tests and for the opening of the new facility at the Steinwerder cruise terminal,” Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises, said.

“The cruise industry makes an important contribution to adding value and employment in and around our port. Hamburg is one of the most popular cruise destinations in Europe and a pioneer in sustainability issues such as the expansion of shore power. Together with AIDA Cruises, we want to further develop our partnership and thus also Hamburg as a cruise location in a sustainable manner,” Senator for Economic Affairs Melanie Leonhard stated.

AIDA Cruises has been considering the use of shore power in the planning and construction of its ships since 2004.

On the shore side, another ten years passed before Europe’s first shore power facility was opened in Hamburg Altona in 2017 and AIDA was able to start regular operations.

Since 2021, AIDA ships have also been able to use shore power from renewable energies in Kiel and Rostock-Warnemünde. Thanks to the opening of additional facilities in Europe, the company expanded its use of shore power to ports in Norway, the United Kingdom, and Denmark last year and this year.

By using shore power, AIDA ships can reduce their engine emissions to almost zero while at berth, the company highlighted.

As part of its Green Cruising Strategy, AIDA Cruises has been investing in a sustainable cruise market for many years and actively supports the European Union’s goal of establishing a shore power infrastructure in all major EU ports by 2030.

In addition to the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an important bridging technology, AIDA Cruises is expanding the use of alternative energy sources such as shore power or batteries to operate its cruise ships.

The German firm welcomed its second LNG-powered cruise ship last year.

Together with various partners, the cruise company is working intensively on further solutions for using fuel cells or regenerative and synthetic fuels in the future and is putting them into practice.

As part of Carnival Corporation & plc, AIDA Cruises aims to reduce carbon intensity by 20% by 2026 compared to 2019 and aspires to achieve net carbon-neutral ship operation of its fleet by 2050.