AIDA Cruises, the German brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, informed that it is planning to commission two more LNG-powered ships with low-emission propulsion by 2023.
AIDA has already been engaging in research into and development of the use of LNG in the cruise industry for over 10 years.
With AIDAnova's launch at the end of 2018, the company commissioned the world's first cruise ship that can be operated entirely with low-emission LNG both at sea and in port.
Two more of these innovative AIDA ships will be commissioned in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
"Thanks to the use of LNG, emissions of particulates and sulfur oxides are eliminated almost completely, while emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are sustainably reduced," it said.
At present, AIDAnova is sailing in the Western Mediterranean, and is supplied with LNG every 14 days in Barcelona. Previously, AIDAnova had been supplied in Tenerife/Canary Islands, also on a 14-day basis.
Leading the cruise industry's use of LNG to power cruise ships, Carnival Corporation has an additional 10 vessels due for delivery between 2019 and 2025 for Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK), Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, in addition to AIDA Cruises.