Onshore power pledge

The working group is part of an agreement signed by the Port of Barcelona, Barcelona Cruise Port, Carnival Corp & PLC, Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Cruises, NCL Holding LTD, Viking Cruises and Virgin Voyages aimed at aligning infrastructure with fleet availability.

This is “an important step that confirms the commitment of the cruise community to the city of Barcelona and to society as a whole,” said Damià Calvet, president of the Port of Barcelona.

Representatives of the signatories are keen to highlight the cruise sector’s role in decarbonising maritime transport and promote the importance of shore-based power in eliminating emissions.

This collaboration between the public and private sectors will make it possible to comply with the European requirements for the availability of electrical connection on shore for ships in 2030.

Electrification of all cruise berths, the Prat Wharf, and the ferry terminals of the Sant Bertran dock and Costa Wharf will remove 38% of CO2 and 22% of NOx emissions, according to calculations by the Port of Barcelona.

The €110 million project to electrify the port’s docks is known as Nexigen and is a key element of the port achieving climate-neutrality by 2050. The first cruise ships will be connected to the port power grid in 2026.