AIDAnova - LNG powered
The newest member of the “kissing mouth” line AIDA, the AIDAnova, was handed over by Meyer Schiffswerft in November 2018 to its proud owner. It is the first cruise ship to be powered exclusively by ‘environmentally friendly’ liquefied natural gas (LNG), allowing passengers to enjoy ‘green cruising’ with a clear conscience.
The enthusiasm in the maritime tourism industry is correspondingly high.
AIDAnova is the first of seven next-generation LNG-powered cruise ships and the 13th vessel in the AIDA fleet.The ship has a length of 337m, a width of 42m and a maximum draught of 8.8m.
The vessel can carry up to 1,500 crew members and features a gross weight of 184,000 t.
It can accommodate up to 5,200 passengers in 2,600 staterooms, which include 31 suites, 312 interior cabins, 198 ocean-view cabins and 1,655 balcony cabins.
After years of pros and cons in the industry, liquid gas seems to be become the epitome of “green cruises”. If the dual-fuel engines run on gas, they operate much cleaner than conventional marine diesel engines with a sulphur content. Neither sulphur oxides nor soot particles are produced, nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by up to 80 percent and CO₂ emissions are reduced by 20 percent.
That sounds great, but it is for the meantime theory. There is still a lack in practical experience.
This new level of environmental awareness comes at a price. For safety reasons, normal marine fuels must also be carried. More important, the infrastructure for a worldwide LNG supply in the ports is lacking too, which, after all, a supply bunker vessel has to steam ahead. This is probably one of the reasons why AIDAnova only operates between the Canary Islands and Madeira.
What fuel the tanker ahead uses remains unmentioned, as you can read in this interview with Tom Strang, Senior Vice President Maritime Affairs for Carnival Corporation:
“How will the LNG be supplied to the ships?
Unlike our AIDAprima and AIDAperla vessels that can be supplied by truck, these next-generation vessels will require considerably more LNG and will be supplied by bunker vessel. We have signed a deal with Shell to supply LNG for four of our new LNG vessels – AIDAnova, Costa Smeralda and the two Carnival Cruise Line ships – and we are working with Shell to ensure that there is a reliable supply chain to the Atlantic Islands to support our operation in the region.”
The whole discussion reminds me of the introduction of the catalytic converter for cars in Germany. At that time there were a lot of objections, but in the end the clean technology had prevailed.
We at CBEI think it is an important step in the right direction. Of course it will take some time until the necessary sustainable infrastructure is in place.