By
Rebecca Gibson |
AIDA Cruises has reduced the rate of energy consumption per person onboard its ships by an average of 13%, according to the company’s new sustainability report.
The new AIDA Cares 2015 report also indicated that between 2014 and the first half of 2015, the cruise line has also lowered emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter by 11%, 8% and 7% respectively. These reductions have been achieved by various different climate protection programmes, which were developed in collaboration with atmosfair in 2014.
AIDA offers its guests the opportunity to donate voluntary carbon dioxide compensation for their cruise. The line also compensates for the carbon dioxide emissions from its employees’ business trips through climate protection projects.
In addition, the cruise line is exploring the possibility of using LNG fuel that has been produced by wind or solar power, rather than carbon dioxide, to fuel its cruise ships. This autumn, the line will launch AIDAprima, the first cruise ship with an built-in shore power connection, a comprehensive filter system for exhaust gas treatment and a dual-fuel engine, which can be powered by 100% LNG fuel when in port. This will completely eliminate soot particle and sulphur oxide emissions. AIDA will launch a sister ship with a dual-fuel engine in 2016.
“We have achieved many additional important milestones in environmental protection and AIDAsol will be the first cruise ship in the world to be supplied with power from low-emission liquefied gas by the LNG Hybrid Barge in the port of Hamburg,” said Monika Griefahn, chief sustainability officer at AIDA Cruises. “Other ships in the AIDA fleet received the first installations of the comprehensive filter system to reduce waste gas.”
Meanwhile, AIDA continues to use a catalogue of scientific criteria, developed in 2014 with futouris e.V and other partners, to ensure that its shore excursions are environmentally, culturally and socially sustainable.