Costa Cruises has signed the ‘Genoa Blue Agreement’ promoted by the Genoa and Savona Coast Guard Offices. The document mandates vessels to use marine gasoil with a sulphur content not exceeding 0.10% by mass prior to entering the ports of Savona and Genoa, and not only while the ship is moored as required by current legislation.
The ‘Genoa Blue Agreement’ also highlights the effectiveness of scrubbers. In fact, where these systems are used, the rules introduced are considered to be fully respected. Currently, more than 70% of ships in the Costa fleet are equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems called ‘Advanced Air Quality Systems’. These systems ensure the almost complete removal of sulphur oxides, a 75% reduction of particulates and an important reduction of nitrogen oxides.
Commenting on the agreement, Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises, said that:
By signing up to the “Genoa Blue Agreement” protocol today, we have further strengthened our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our ships. The commitment enshrined in the protocol today is one that Costa made voluntarily some years ago, as usual pre-empting future regulations. We are also pleased to see that other shipping companies and other maritime sectors have also signed up to this commitment, which will further benefit the communities we visit daily
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In La Spezia, Costa Cruises, together with other companies, has won the contract to manage the port’s cruise services, which also includes the construction of a new cruise terminal. In 2019, Costa Group ships will make 50 calls at the port of La Spezia, including 29 calls by AIDAnova, the new flagship operated by AIDA Cruises, where it expects to handle 250,000 passenger movements.
Further demonstrating Costa’s commitment to the area, the Costa Crociere Foundation and the Municipality of Genoa have established a plan for a new community center open to all the residents of the Certosa district of Genoa. The center will occupy the first floor of a building owned by the Municipality at Via Borsieri 11, a short walk from the Brin subway station.
The renovation work is planned to begin by the end of August, aiming to create an innovative and appealing multifunctional space. The Costa Crociere Foundation will at first invest at least 330,000 euros in the project, resulting from the ‘Insieme per Genova’ (Together for Genoa) fundraising campaign in favor of the city, in which the company involved all its guests and partners.
