Aida’s River Cruises to Rely on Land Power More Often, Reducing Emissions
Aida’s river cruise ships will increasingly use land power instead of relying on onboard engines for energy, said Felix Eichhorn, the company’s CEO, in an interview with the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung.
In 2023, Aida used land power at 65 ports, and in 2024, the number rose to 360, with a plan to use it over 550 times in 2025, Eichhorn said. “We’re entering exponential growth.” However, many ports still lack the necessary land power connections. “In Europe, there are only 12 ports with land power systems, mostly in Northern Europe and Germany. We call at over 250 ports worldwide, so there’s still a lot to do” Eichhorn added.
According to Eichhorn, the transition to alternative power sources at sea is more challenging. Alternative fuels are scarce, and several alternatives are still in the discussion phase for the river cruise industry. “We must carefully consider which ones to use to avoid misinvestments. A high-seas ship is built to last at least 30 years” he said.
Eichhorn also criticized the lack of standardization in the industry, calling for the government, the EU, and international organizations to establish a framework for the use of fuels and emissions accounting. “Only then can fuel producers prepare and invest in large production facilities” he said.
Despite the challenges, the river cruise industry has made progress, Eichhorn noted. “A modern ship now requires only a third of the energy of a 20-year-old ship. Airplanes, in the same time, have not become two-thirds more efficient” he said.