As part of its Green Cruising strategy, AIDA Cruises has reached another important milestone in the gradual decarbonization of its fleet. Continuing the successful cooperation with the Dutch biofuel pioneer GoodFuels the cruise line announced today that AIDAprima was refueled for the first time with 100 percent sustainable biofuel in the port of Rotterdam on December 8.
“By using biofuels, we are showing that the gradual decarbonization of ships that are already in service is possible. The greatest challenge currently facing the entire shipping industry is availability at an industrial level and at marketable prices,” said AIDA President Felix Eichhorn.
In July 2022, AIDA Cruises was the first company in the cruise industry to start using so-called "drop-in" biofuels on board a large cruise ship. On July 21, 2022, AIDAprima was refueled with a mixture of sustainable marine biofuel and marine gas oil (MGO) from GoodFuels.
The innovative biofuel is obtained from raw materials that are 100 percent certified as waste or residues, and therefore do not consume agricultural land for food production or cause deforestation.
In addition to continuously expanding the use of sustainably produced fuels, AIDA Cruises has been investing in researching and using green technologies and increasing the energy efficiency of its fleet to further reduce fuel consumption for many years. This year, for example, what is currently the largest battery storage system in cruise shipping with a capacity of 10 megawatt hours was installed on board AIDAprima, and the use of shore power was expanded for the almost emission-free operation of the fleet during port layovers in Europe.
In various national and international research projects, the company is developing further innovative solutions on the way to climate-neutral cruises together with partners from science, business and politics. Treating our environment and its natural resources with care is another elementary pillar of AIDA's commitment to sustainability.
With these and many other measures, the company makes an active contribution to achieving the UN goals for sustainable development, the climate goals of Paris and the European Green Deal with its "Fit for 55" program. As part of Carnival Corporation & plc's family of cruise brands, AIDA Cruises is committed to reducing the carbon intensity of its fleet by 20 percent by 2030 compared to 2019 and is targeting carbon-neutral ship operations by 2050.
