AIDA Cruises, a part of Carnival Corporation, today announced that Europe’s largest shore power plant was officially inaugurated with one of its ships, the AIDAsol, in the presence of Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig and AIDA Cruises President Felix Eichhorn during the 12th German National Maritime Conference.

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, according to a press release.

“With our green cruising strategy, we have been investing in a sustainable cruise market for many years,” said AIDA’s Eichhorn. “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. 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) of electricity.

Starting in 2017, AIDA Cruises has been using Europe’s first shore power plant in Hamburg-Altona with AIDAsol in regular operation.

Currently, 10 ships in 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.

With AIDA Cruises starting a cruise season from Kiel, Germany, on May 22, the AIDAsol will also be the first cruise ship to complete the final tests on the newly built shore power plant there, the company said, in a statement.

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 the afternoon of May 13.

And later this year, the AIDAnova will receive the first fuel cell to be used on an ocean-going cruise ship. In 2022, the largest battery storage system to date in cruising will go into operation onboard an AIDA ship, according to a company statement.

In addition, the company said it is addressing the question of how regenerative fuels can be used onboard cruise ships in the future.