Carnival installing solar power at two Barcelona cruise terminals

The roof-mounted solar panels, a first for the port, are capable of supplying more than 100% of the energy needed to power daily operations and will reduce overall electricity consumption.

Palacruceros and Helix Cruise Center

Carnival and the Port of Barcelona teamed up with a Catalonia-based solar provider to install the 1,350 panels at Palacruceros (Terminal D) and Helix Cruise Center (Terminal E), which will collectively produce 866,000-plus kilowatt-hours per year.

Installation work began in July at Palacruceros and the full project across both terminals is set for completion by the end of 2024.

245,000 kWh of surplus power into the grid each year

Additionally, the surplus power generated by the solar panels, estimated at 32% for Helix Cruise Center alone, can be routed back into the local energy grid to improve the overall utilization of renewable energy generation in the port. In total, more than 245,000 kWh of surplus power will be fed into the grid each year, equivalent to the average annual consumption of 60 households.

Eight Carnival brands serve Barcelona

Eight Carnival brands turn around at Barcelona: AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises.

The project follows Carnival Corp.'s new solar panel farm unveiled earlier this year at its Amber Cove Cruise Center in the Dominican Republic.

Together, these projects mark the beginning of the company’s wider efforts to integrate renewable energy across its entire ports and destinations portfolio.