By
Alice Chambers |
Costa Group has created a dedicated decarbonisation department within its Carnival Maritime unit, based in Hamburg, which will develop a strategy for decarbonising the Costa and AIDA fleets by 2050.
The department, made up of scientific and technical experts, will study and test new technologies such as batteries, fuel cells, solar and wind power, to develop a plan towards creating a fleet of zero-emission ships. It will also investigate biofuels, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen fuels to allow ships to be flexible and use low-carbon energy.
“Addressing climate change requires a great effort and commitment, and we believe that the creation of our new dedicated task force is a key asset to accelerate the development of new concepts that can lead us to reach carbon neutral operations by 2050,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “To meet this challenge, we intend to build collaborations and partnerships with other players in the value chain to continue our pioneering role within the cruise industry. We will also continue to work in close cooperation with governments to make sure that Europe can lead the way to sustainable cruising.”
Costa Group was the first company to introduce LNG propulsion, with four LNG-powered ships already in service, and this new department will continue the brand’s commitment to sustainable energy sources. The company already plans to install the biggest lithium-ion battery storage system onboard AIDAprima during the summer season and is currently installing hydrogen-powered fuel cells onboard AIDAnova.