As early as 2021, AIDA Cruises will be the first cruise company to test the use of fuel cells on a large passenger ship, under the ‘Pa-X-ell2’ research project on board of AIDAnova. The project aims to develop a decentralized energy network and a hybrid energy system with a new generation of fuel cells for use in oceangoing passenger vessels.
Fuel cells allow for power supply on board with even lower emissions than LNG, while they also operate with low noise and vibration. They runs on hydrogen obtained from methanol, which also can be produced from renewable energies in future. The fuel cells are designed to have a far longer useful life than cells intended for use in cars.
The manufacturer’s first trials ashore have indicated that a lifetime of more than 35,000 operating hours can be achieved.
In 2018 AIDA Cruises commissioned AIDAnova, the world’s first cruise ship that is entirely fueled by low-emission LNG. Two more LNG-powered AIDA cruise ships will be put into service by 2023.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Moreover, in 2020 the world’s biggest battery storage system on a passenger ship to date, with an overall output of 10-megawatt hours, will start operating aboard AIDAperla. As part of its Green Cruising strategy, AIDA is also exploring CO2-free extraction of liquefied gas from renewable sources.
Additionally, from the end of 2020, no less than 12 of AIDA’s 14 ships will be able to use shore power wherever it is available. Since 2017, AIDAsol has been using the shore power plant in Hamburg-Altona for its operations.
By the end of 2023, 94% of all AIDA guests will be traveling on ships that can be fully powered by LNG or, where possible, operated in port with green shore power.
“With the first-time use of fuel cells on board an oceangoing cruise ship, we will reach a further important milestone on our journey to emission-neutral cruising, and will show further concrete solutions for achieving our climate targets”
stated AIDA President Felix Eichhorn.
