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On Saturday May 14, the cruise vessels AIDAprima and AIDAsol were the first two AIDA ships to be simultaneously supplied with and/or powered by energy produced from liquefied natural gas (LNG) whilst berthed in the port of Hamburg.

AIDAprima's dual-fuel system was refuelled directly from an LNG truck at the cruise terminal in Steinwerder, whilst the hybrid barge 'Hummel' (meaning 'bumblebee' in English) supplied the AIDAsol with LNG in HafenCity, located near Hamburg Cruise Center.

The AIDAprima is the world's first cruise ship that can be operated on LNG whilst in port, thus leading to a reduction in emissions when docked. Compared to the use of conventional marine diesel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 percent, emissions and particle discharge will be significantly reduced by using LNG. The emission of sulphur oxide and soot particles will be completely prevented. Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by up to 80 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent.

Following the AIDAprima's first LNG supply test run in Hamburg on May 7, last week the vessel also completed its first LNG operation at the ports of Southampton, Le Havre and Zeebrügge. This means that the AIDAprima can now be supplied with low-emission LNG fuel at four ports along its route. The preparations and initial permit procedures for the port of Rotterdam are also said to be already "well under way".

Last month, Shell was named as an exclusive strategic partner of AIDA Cruises for the supply of LNG to the AIDAprima and its sister ship AIDAperla. At all the ports along its route, therefore, Shell is to supply the AIDAprima with LNG.

With the company's next generation of ships that are to be put into service in 2019/2020, AIDA Cruises is to go one step further. Under the concept of 'Green Cruising' they are to be operated only with low-emission LNG.

Hummel

The Hummel was christened on October 19, 2014, at Grasbrook Kai, HafenCity. The vessel is 77 metres long and 11 metres wide and equipped with five generators with an overall output of 7.5 megawatts (MW), or 50/60 hertz (Hz). It was developed by Becker Marine Systems.

The barge, which operates like a floating power plant, can supply low-emission power to cruise ships. It generates and transfers power to the ship via a gas container filled with 15 tonnes of LNG.

Since last spring, it has been supplying environmentally friendly power to the AIDAsol cruise ship during each of its layovers in Hamburg.