With the bridging technology liquefied natural gas, shipping companies like Aida Cruises want to operate their ships in a more environmentally friendly way. The two most modern ocean liners in the fleet are now running on diesel again. The company feels compelled to take the step.
Due to increased prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG), the two cruise ships “Aidanova” and “Aidacosma” are currently not using the fuel, which is considered more environmentally friendly. Instead, they have been running on marine gas oil (MGO) – a diesel fuel – for a few weeks, said Aida spokesman Hansjörg Kunze.
“But we will return to LNG operations if that is possible. We cannot predict the price development.” The “Hamburger Abendblatt” had previously reported about it. “The price increases were significant, not to say explosive,” said Kunze. LNG has become three to five times more expensive. A delivery at reasonable prices is not possible.
The marine engines of both Aida ships are built for dual-fuel operation and can use both MGO and LNG. LNG not only reduces local emissions, but is also the bridging technology in the future to possible operation with CO2-free gases. The “Aidanova”, which went into service in 2018, was the world’s first cruise ship that could be operated entirely with LNG. She is currently traveling around the Canary Islands. The “Aidacosma” is in the Arabian Gulf.
Aida Cruises is not the only company that is currently switching. The ferry company Fjord Line said that after two years of pandemic and official travel restrictions, 2022 had the highest sales season, but the rising fuel costs for LNG “led to a profit situation that is not sustainable”. Fuel costs for Fjord Line’s two LNG-powered ships have risen well beyond what is economically viable, according to a statement.
The company will now upgrade the ferries’ LNG engines to diesel: “The switch will allow the ships to run on MGO in addition to LNG, ensuring economically sustainable operations until LNG prices return to normalized levels.”
In shipping, LNG is actually considered a temporary solution until emission-free propulsion has prevailed. Aida competitor Tui Cruises, for example, has its new ocean liner “Mein Schiff 7” built in such a way that it can run on methanol, among other things. The world’s largest container ship shipping company, Maersk, also wants to put freighters into service that sail the seas with green ethanol. This makes the ship’s propulsion system almost CO2-neutral.
