Following the Mein Schiff 1, which received a connection during a recent drydock, more TUI Cruises ships will be equipped with shore power capabilities.

According to the company, the Mein Schiff 5 and the Mein Schiff 2 are next in line to receive the connections.

The first will receive the environmentally friendly technology during a drydock this November, while the latter will follow suit in January 2024.

The upgrade aims to further advance the development of shore power in the ports, said Ullrich Voss, director of ship management and hotel refurbishment for TUI Cruises.

According to Voss, the Germany-based company also wants to “strengthen the demand for this type of environmentally friendly ship operation.”

To add the technology on the Mein Schiff 1, TUI Cruises installed an additional door on the hull side of the ship, from which power cables can be routed in while in port.

Other green upgrades carried out during the drydock included a new silicone paint coating on the hull, which will allow the ship to reduce its flow resistance in the water, thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The Mein Schiff 1 wastewater treatment system was also upgraded to follow stricter rules in the Baltic Sea.

Under construction in Finland, the new Mein Schiff 7 will also be equipped with shore power connections when it enters service in 2024.

The 2,900-guest ship will introduce additional green technologies as well, such as highly efficient catalytic converters and engines prepared to run on green methanol in the future.

According to TUI Cruises, when available, the greener marine fuel will make the ship’s propulsion system almost CO2-neutral.

The company is also adding two LNG-powered ships to its fleet in 2024 and 2026. To be built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the next-gen vessels will be the largest in TUI’s fleet with capacity to 4,000 guests and 161,000 gross tons.