On 2nd June, 2025, HM King Frederik X of Denmark, in the presence of the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, and the Danish Minister for Transport, Thomas Danielsen, inaugurated the new shore power plant at Copenhagen’s Oceankaj cruise terminal.
As part of the ceremony, ‘AIDAnova’ became the first cruise ship to be supplied with energy from shore during her visit.
Copenhagen has become the 14th cruise port in Europe in which AIDA cruise ships use shore power.
With 73 calls by five AIDA ships in 2025, Copenhagen is one of the most important cruise ports in Northern Europe for AIDA Cruises.
“The inauguration of the shore power plant in Copenhagen is an important step towards the further implementation of the maritime energy transition in Northern Europe.
“Our Danish partners and AIDA are united by the consistent will to drive forward the expansion and use of a port infrastructure that reduces environmental impacts,” said Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises.
“We have once again proven that we stand by the word we gave to our Cruise Baltic partners here in Copenhagen 2022. By investing in the use of this advanced technology, we are actively supporting the European Union’s goals of building a shore-side power infrastructure in all major EU ports by 2030,” he said.
“The inauguration of the cruise shore power facility in Copenhagen is a proud moment for Copenhagen Malmö Port and a key milestone in the green transition of the sector.
“We are excited to begin operating this facility and to provide shipping lines like AIDA Cruises with clean energy while at berth. This initiative is fully aligned with our broader sustainability strategy, which includes fossil-free terminal operations and our ambition to reach net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2025. Together with our partners, we are committed to shaping a more sustainable future for the maritime industry,” said Barbara Scheel Agersnap, Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) CEO.
The facility, developed by Udviklingsselskabet By & Havn, is Europe’s largest of its kind and complements CMP’s shore power facility inaugurated in 2021 at Søndre Frihavn for the Copenhagen/Oslo line now run by Gotlandsbolaget.
As a test partner, AIDA was closely involved in the technical preparations in Copenhagen and provided a ship, ‘AIDAnova’, for the trials.
The company’s many years of experience with the use of shore power in other European ports, such as Hamburg, Kiel, Warnemünde, Oslo, Southampton, Rotterdam and Stockholm, were actively incorporated into the implementation.
In 2024, AIDA Cruises used shore power during 360 port calls – a fivefold increase compared to the previous year.
Thanks to the opening of new facilities, over 500 port calls with shore power are planned for 2025.
In addition to the use of shore power, the company is investing in various alternative energy sources, such as batteries and biofuels.
As part of Carnival Corp, AIDA Cruises is striving for net-zero emissions in ship operations by 2050.
