Celebration as AIDAluna uses new shore power facility in Oslo
AIDA Cruises and the Port of Oslo celebrated Oslo’s new shore power system for cruise ships going into regular operation, with AIDAluna using the technology.
The system was inaugurated with a ribbon cutting ceremony where Anita Leirvik North, the city's vice mayor for culture and business development and Einar Marthinussen, commercial director at Port of Oslo, welcomed the captain of AIDAluna, Marc-Dominique Tidow, to the pier.
It is the fifth shore power system in Norway.
Green shore power in 12 ports
‘We are very pleased to be able to supply our AIDA ships with shore power in the port of Oslo, an important port in Northern Europe,’ said Dirk Inger, SVP public affairs, communication & sustainability at AIDA Cruises. ‘Shore power is a relevant technology for us on the way to net-zero emissions in ship operations.
‘With the commissioning of this system, our cruise ships can now obtain green energy from shore in 12 ports in six European countries.’
Test phase
An extensive test phase preceded today’s event, during which AIDAluna had already been successfully supplied with green shore power.
Einar Marthinussen thanked AIDA Cruises ‘for the excellent cooperation we had during the testing.’ He said, ‘Your ship, AIDAbella, was the first to fully connect to this facility. Since then, both AIDAmar and AIDAluna have visited us. Thank you very much for helping to reduce emissions and supporting Oslo’s ambitious climate goals.’
Around 50% usage rate
Marthinussen said 20 out of 43 cruise ships have connected to the facility so far. ‘2024 was supposed to be a kind of test year, where both the Port of Oslo and the shipping companies would familiarize themselves with the facility. A connection rate of around 50% is more than we dared to hope for at this stage,’ he added.
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