June 03, 2025 – With the new shore power system in Copenhagen, the AIDAnova will dock emission-free for the first time, marking a turning point for clean cruise ports.
AIDAnova at sea
Royal starting signal for clean electricity
With a symbolic push of a button by King Frederik X of Denmark, the new shore power system at the Oceankaj Cruise Terminal in Copenhagen officially went into operation on 2 June 2025. Under the watchful eyes of EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen and Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen, the AIDAnova was the first cruise ship to switch off its on-board generators and obtain emission-free electricity from the land.
Milestone for the maritime energy transition
For AIDA Cruises, Copenhagen is already the 14th port in Europe with shore power. "This facility is another important step on the path to climate-friendly shipping," emphasized AIDA President Felix Eichhorn at the ceremony. The cruise line had promised its Danish partners in 2022 that it would actively support the expansion – a promise that has now been fulfilled.
Climate benefits in numbers
- 360 AIDA Cruises already completed shore power calls in 2024 – five times more than in the previous year.
- About 500 are planned for 2025; this means that almost every second port stop in Northern Europe will be powered by clean shore power.
Port of Copenhagen-Malmö sets ambitious goals
Barbara Scheel Agersnap, CEO of the Port of Copenhagen-Malmö, emphasized that the terminal aims to achieve net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2025. The shore power system is the heart of this strategy, as it allows ships to be supplied with completely fossil-free energy during layovers.
AIDAnova: Pioneer with LNG – now also plugged in
The 2018 put into service AIDAnova already operates on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is prepared for future alternative fuels. Combined with the use of shore power, local emissions in port are reduced to almost zero – a model that AIDA is rolling out to more and more European destinations.
Europe's shore power network is growing rapidly
Only at the end of March Rotterdam its first cruise shore power system in operation, also with the AIDAnova as the premiere ship. Copenhagen The number of AIDA ports with shore power connections has now risen to 14 in seven countries – and the trend is continuing to rise.
Outlook
The EU requires all major seaport terminals to offer shore-side power by 2030. Copenhagen shows how it can be done: Through close cooperation between port operators, government, and shipping companies, ambitious climate goals can be achieved – and cruise guests will enjoy cleaner air on deck in the future.