Costa Cruises to use batteries to reduce large cruise ship emissions

The agreement will focus on the possibility of promoting projects to reduce emissions when cruise ships enter and leave ports and during quayside stops, with innovative solutions that provide a further opportunity to accelerate the cruise sector’s energy transition, particularly through electrification.

We are particularly proud of this agreement between two Italian companies committed to reducing emissions in their respective sectors at European and global level and with a focus on innovation and sustainability

said Nicola Lanzetta, Enel’s Director for Italy.

In particular, the protocol aims to carry out a ship refitting ‘pilot case’, aimed at zeroing local emissions when entering, stopping and leaving port, through the installation on the ship of a battery power supply, combined with a shore-side power supply and recharging system.

The aim of the refitting will be to transform a Costa cruise ship into a zero-emission ship from its entry into port until its exit, including the hours it remains stationary on the quayside, in total about half of its operating day.

Another area of common commitment envisaged by the protocol concerns the promotion of advocacy activities aimed at simplifying and incentivizing energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy production in ports, especially in port areas within city environments.

One of the activities concerns the so-called ‘cold ironing’, for which cruise ships are already preparing, with about one third of the Costa fleet ready now.

A further point of the memorandum of understanding between Enel and Costa Crociere is to promote sustainable tourism, through the development of initiatives related to sustainable electric mobility, in both the port and city areas, aimed at progressively reducing noise and atmospheric emissions, including from cruise-related activities such as shore excursions or intermodal connections between cities and ports.