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Energy and resource management

Energy and resource management

Saving energy, conserving resources

Protecting the environment both on land and at sea for us means, alongside reducing emissions, conserving resources and minimizing our energy consumption as much as possible. Our long-term goal is to offer carbon-neutral cruises. As a result we are committed to developing alternative technologies for producing and harnessing energy.

As far as reducing emissions and conserving resources is concerned, we believe that the best ton of fuel is the one that was never used in the first place. Thanks to a wide range of measures, in 2018 we managed once again to reduce the total energy consumption on board per person per day by a further 1.7 percent on the previous year (not including AIDAnova).

We are supporting the phased plan developed by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) aimed at reducing ships’ emissions and even go beyond this initiative in many areas.

AIDA has already been using low-sulfur fuels for many of its destinations for a number of years. We exclusively use low-sulfur fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1 percent in the North and Baltic Sea as well as off the coast of North America and in all Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Our engines have been run exclusively on marine diesel oil with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1 percent in every European port for the best part of a decade. We are proud that we were able to make using only low-emission LNG a reality in the cruise industry for the first time with AIDAnova in late 2018.

More information in chapter: AIDA in figures


AIDAnova entered service on 12th December 2018 as the most eco-friendly cruise ship in the world.

Reducing fuel consumption

We have reduced our fuel consumption per guest and per day travelled by more than a third since 2007. An AIDA ship now consumes an average of just three liters of fuel per person for every 100 kilometers travelled. We have been able further to reduce the fuel consumption of AIDAprima, AIDAperla and AIDAnova by implementing numerous measures aimed at improving energy efficiency and hydrodynamics.

Hydrodynamic and Energy Monitoring

Hydrodynamic and MALS Technology

Pod


Alongside reducing emissions, increasing energy efficiency is another vital criteria for running a ship in an environmentally friendly manner. With every new ship we develop the design further in order to save more drive energy by improving the hydrodynamics. AIDAprima and AIDAperla are additionally equipped with innovative MALS technology (MALS = Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System). The special thing about the MALS is that it allows the ship to glide along on a carpet of air bubbles, which considerably reduces friction and conserves drive power.

AIDAprima, AIDAperla and AIDAnova are also fitted with so-called pod drives. These are located in a streamlined gondola and can rotate 360 degrees around their vertical axis, which makes the ships extremely maneuverable.

How does the MALS technology work? Watch video.

Innovative energy management and monitoring

All our ships are equipped with an integrated energy management system, which are connected to the corporation-wide data platform called “Neptune”. More than 1,500 different types of data are collected in it, some of which include drive power, trim, power supply, waste heat recovery, air-conditioning output or fuel consumption. These are continuously monitored and assessed, and help us to make the running of our ships and their systems even more efficient.

Neptune is one of the most innovative platforms in the maritime industry. It supports our ship crews in every aspect of safety and environmental management and helps them to save energy and increase efficiency.

All the relevant information is sent via satellite to our shore-based facilities. Our shore-based navigators and engineers can analyze this data almost in real-time and, if necessary, support our ships quickly and effectively around the clock. As well as our crews on board, at present more than 500 employees of the Carnival Corporation use Neptune across the group’s three Fleet Operation Centers in Hamburg, Seattle and Miami.

Energy monitoring

Waste heat recovery and absorption chillers

Waste heat recovery

We put emphasis on heat recovery technology and the intelligent distribution and usage of waste heat. Thanks to this technology, all of our ships that have entered service since 2008 have no need to use oil-fired auxiliary boilers. The entire waste heat, including that from the engine coolant, is fed into a centralized waste heat distributing system and forwarded to whichever consumers on board have the highest energy requirements at any given moment.

Absorption chillers

Modern absorption chillers are used on board AIDAprima and AIDAperla. These convert excess waste heat into cold air for the air conditioning systems and thereby reduce the demand for electrical energy. The air conditioning systems are among the largest consumers of energy on board. The cold air is produced efficiently either via the absorption chillers from waste heat or directly by cooling down sea water. As a result, the onboard air conditioning compressors need only be switched on when air and water temperatures reach their peak in summer. The air conditioning units in the cabins and communal spaces are controlled intelligently and locally by fan coils.