The Netherlands advances green port vision with Rotterdam’s ‘first’ cruise ship shore power facility

April 2, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

The Netherlands has marked a new ‘milestone’ with the inauguration of the ‘first’ shore power plant for cruise ships at the Port of Rotterdam.

As disclosed, on March 31, 2025, the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered cruise ship AIDAnova, which is operated by Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises, signified the opening of the facility at the Holland Amerikakade as it became the first vessel to connect to the shore power system during its stay at Cruise Port Rotterdam.

Cruise Port Shore Power, a subsidiary of Cruise Port Rotterdam, anticipates connecting as much as 75% of the cruise ships calling at the port during the first year. In doing so, the company projects that it would be able to ‘significantly’ reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, as well as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions and noise pollution.

With the commissioning of the installation, Cruise Port Shore Power has also managed to “stay ahead” of the EU environmental regulation that stipulates that all cruise vessels in European ports must use shore power by 2030, as representatives of the firm have noted.

“Cruise ships are a valuable source of income, and by disconnecting them from the power grid, we are improving the air quality and reducing noise pollution. That is good for the quality of life and our economy. I am proud of this result and would like to thank everyone who worked towards this,” Robert Simons, Alderman for Port & Economy, commented.

Reflecting on the occasion further, Boudewijn Siemons, CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority, shared: “We are proud and delighted that the shore power installation has been put into operation today. After an intensive construction period, we are today taking an important new step in making the Port of Rotterdam and the city more sustainable.”

As the Port of Rotterdam has shared, the installation was built by Danish company PowerCon together with the port, the municipality of Rotterdam, STEDIN, IGUS and project partners J.P. van Eesteren, Heijmans, Royal HaskoningDHV and Xylem.

The construction reportedly took twenty-two months. In addition to the shore power plant, a 230-meter-long cable duct was installed in the quay and a separate 1.5-kilometer sustainable electricity grid connection from Maashaven to Wilhelminakade.

The port’s representatives have unveiled that the cooling system for the shore power installation would use water from the Maas River, like the one of the cruise terminal.

With AIDAnova having ‘opened season’ at the facility, its owner has remarked that there are plans underway to make a further 31 calls in Rotterdam this year, with its ships being supplied with shore power.

Dirk Inger, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Communication & Sustainability at AIDA Cruises, underscored the importance of the latest development, stating: “We are delighted that our ships can now use shore power in Rotterdam and switch off the main engines while docked. The new shore power system is another step for all of us on the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Inger further divulged that AIDA Cruises used shore power at 360 port calls, reportedly a fivefold increase compared to 2023. One of those, for instance, was AIDAnova, which became the 100th cruise vessel to have connected at the Port of Kiel’s shore power facility in 2024.

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In addition to this, Inger said that more than 500 calls at other European ports with shore power are planned for 2025. What is more, with the new facility in Rotterdam, Inger projects the company’s vessels in Northern Europe would be able to use shore power at almost every second port call this year.